I've received some technical review on this fire-ant-control report by means of the Internet. The following is the technical review and then my response to it.

Technical Review


On Tue, 19 Mar 1996 mitchald@ix.netcom.com wrote:

I just read your feasibility study on treating fire ants on a ten-acre 
plot.  I thought it was very clear and concise.  I have two questions 
about some of the arithmetic conclusions.
 
The first is in the Toxicity section.  Should the practical answer be 
that a fifteen kilogram dog requires 1131 mg of active ingredient times 
15 or approximately seventeen grams of active ingredient.  This would 
mean three to four pounds of Amdro product not three to four pounds of 
active ingredient.
 
The second question involves the treatment amounts.  Since the 
infestation involves eighty mounds per acre and treatment involves five 
tablespoons per mound, doesn't this mean 400 tablespoons per acre?  
This equates to ten pounds per acre since there are about forty 
tablespoons per pound.  The toxic limit is one and one half pounds per 
acre, therefore there is not the capability of applying enough Amdro to 
achieve the kill ratios from the test studies.  Broadcasting of a pound 
per care will not achieve the same degree of kill as five tablespoons 
per mound.
 
If I am incorrect please let me know.  But it seems to me that if my 
ratios are correct then you cannot treat this kind of infestation with 
Amdro.
> 
Thanks for you time and for the article.
Mitch Alderman

Response to the Review

From davidm@monk.austin.cc.tx.us Tue Mar 19 10:00:58 1996
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 10:00:57 -0600 (CST)
From: "David A. McMurrey" 
To: mitchald@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Re: Feasibility Report

Hi!  the article on treating fire ants was written by a 
student in one of my technical writing courses over 5 years 
ago.

I honestly can't vouch for its accuracy or correctness.  As 
a writing teacher, I consider a fine example of clear, 
well-organized, well-formatted writing.

I suppose I should put some sort of disclaimer on all of 
these reports, now that they are on the web.

Anyway, thanks for your info--I will link your note to the 
bottom of that article. I'll delete your name and address 
unless you'd like it there.

-- David

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David A. McMurrey, Ph.D.                              davidm@austin.cc.tx.us 
Technical Communications Department          
Austin Community College             Online Technical Communications Courses
Austin, TX 78758            http://www.austin.cc.tx.us/mcmurrey/tcmmain.html
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