Ants’ Eradication Proves Costly

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31007, 12 March 1966, Page 16

Ants’ Eradication Proves Costly

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, March 11

The carpenter ants found in the City of Auckland, the Santa Barbara and the City of Johannesburg have put the ships’ owners to considerable expense.

One shipping company official estimated the daily cost of keeping a vessel alongside the wharves at Auckland at £7OO a day. Fumigation costs for each ship are believed to have been about £lOOO. This morning, fumigation experts were in the City of Johannesburg, which arrived on Tuesday. A heavy infestation was found in number one hold and the whole vessel is being fumigated. The work is not expected to be completed until tomorrow. Cargo unloading cannot be started before Monday. At £7OO a day the owners- of the City of Johannesburg will

have paid out £3500 without cargo being touched. Shipping companies in Auckland said their head offices in Wellington were taking steps to have vessels loading on the North American coast carefully checked for possible Carpenter ant infestations before they sailed for New Zealand. The ants are said to have cost the companies more than £14,000 in extra wharfage rates and fumigation costs. The City of Auckland’s extra wharfage was £5600 as she was eight days late sailing.