Gulf Construction Online - Masa uses safe pest control techniques

Environment Protection

Maxi Pro 2P ... excellent innovation from Curtis Dyna-fog and a machine in action (above).

Masa uses safe pest control techniques

The indiscriminate use of pesticides has caused much concern regarding their impact on the environment and health. NAIMUL HASAN, entomologist, R&D, at Masa Establishment, indicates the measures being taken by his company to minimise the environmental impact.

01 December 2009

THE hazards associated with pesticides underscore the urgent need for competence in the application of these chemicals and for regulating their use.

Pesticide emissions can occur during manufacture, formulation, transport, storage and application. Any accidental exposure can affect man and the environment, raising questions over the wide availability of such ecologically disruptive and crude technology even before a good understanding of its impact has been reached.

Yet, pesticides are essential to protect food crops from pests and diseases, which destroy about one-third of all food grown, according to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates. They are also essential in protecting our homes and offices from their destructive and unhygienic influence.

Environmental contamination is usually associated with the persistence of pesticides – which is the ability of a substance to retain its chemical identity and biological activity in the environment for a long period of time.

Though this characteristic is desirable for some purposes like in the case of DDT for malaria eradication, aldrin, chlordane, or dieldrin in termite-proofing, and prophylactic treatment of crops from insects, persistence in the environment is undesirable as these pesticides affect non-target organisms, result in biological magnification and giving rise to deleterious residues in food and feed. Also, pests develop resistance to them in the long term.

Applicators of pesticides must have a good knowledge of these potentially hazardous products and follow the labels and directions of a given pesticide before application on crops, grass fields, homes and gardens.
Most countries around the world have regulations on the use of pesticides and an important element in this is registration, whereby a government assesses the risk and benefits of the use of pesticides by examining the data submitted by manufacturers/distributors to ensure their products are useful and safe.

Registration serves four important functions. It fulfils the need to know what pesticides are in circulation in the country; it results in greater handler safety especially if labels can be standardised to include safety measures, restrictions in usage and advice on proper uses; it serves to ensure that the product has been proven effective; and to monitor the use of undesired/untested chemical products from the market.

Saudi-based Masa addresses concerns regarding use of pesticides by utilising and offering some of the safest techniques, equipment and pesticides which leave no more residue than is required and which minimise the risk of pesticide spillage.

Masa’s chemicals are the latest releases from leading manufacturers of the active ingredient from different parts of the world.

Masa is also a distributor of some products/equipment, which includes:

• B&G compression air sprayer, which is used for general household pesticide spraying. Its stainless steel body ensures long years of service and thus minimises waste disposal jobs with other used materials. The pressure sprayer ensures the finer particles of pesticides reach the target areas and leaves no spillage;
• B&G termite tools and equipment, which are intended for use in the distribution of liquid termiticides in areas likely to allow entry of subterranean termites into a structure. They are suitable for treating soil beneath outside concrete slabs, such as garages, porches, walkways, using the 7/16-inch pipes and foot ram, and for treating soil around the perimeter of buildings using the 5/8-inch pipes;
• Hilti hand-held drills, used for drilling holes for post-construction termite treatments;
• Dyna-Fog Falcon, which utilises a new low-voltage patented electric starting system and a user-friendly design. With heavy-duty plastic tanks and an ergonomic style, the system delivers the highest performance-to-weight ratio of any comparable thermal fogger; and
• Maxi Pro 2P is an excellent innovation from Curtis Dyna-fog engineering staff that responds to the needs of any insect and vector control programme. Its reliability ensures years of continued use for any mosquito abatement district requiring the best equipment available. It has a simple but accurate metering control system that ensures a high standard of efficiency with minimum of effort.

Integrated pest management (IPM) products are specially designed to reduce the pest population and minimise chemical applications to control multiple rodent catchers, rodent bait stations, glue traps, multiple use mouse traps and fly catchers.