An MD80 flight crew turned down an aircraft due to ants in cargo pits at dfw.

Attributes
ACN	447810
Time
Date	199908
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	447810
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 2
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

Arrived at aircraft, was informed by ramp personnel that there was cargo in the forward belly that was infested with ants. Examined myself and found the floor and walls of the cargo area crawling with ants and concentrated around a shipment of live crickets. Entered in aircraft logbook. Maintenance came out and some spraying was done and appeared to kill all visible though there were still some present. Maintenance sign off was for set up of future fumigation. Asked maintenance supervisor if he could assure me that the infestation was such that ants would not get into aircraft wiring and cause a problem en route. He could not and I refused the aircraft. There were too many unknowns.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLC TURNED DOWN AN ACFT DUE TO ANTS IN CARGO PITS AT DFW.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT ACFT, WAS INFORMED BY RAMP PERSONNEL THAT THERE WAS CARGO IN THE FORWARD BELLY THAT WAS INFESTED WITH ANTS. EXAMINED MYSELF AND FOUND THE FLOOR AND WALLS OF THE CARGO AREA CRAWLING WITH ANTS AND CONCENTRATED AROUND A SHIPMENT OF LIVE CRICKETS. ENTERED IN ACFT LOGBOOK. MAINT CAME OUT AND SOME SPRAYING WAS DONE AND APPEARED TO KILL ALL VISIBLE THOUGH THERE WERE STILL SOME PRESENT. MAINT SIGN OFF WAS FOR SET UP OF FUTURE FUMIGATION. ASKED MAINT SUPVR IF HE COULD ASSURE ME THAT THE INFESTATION WAS SUCH THAT ANTS WOULD NOT GET INTO ACFT WIRING AND CAUSE A PROB ENRTE. HE COULD NOT AND I REFUSED THE ACFT. THERE WERE TOO MANY UNKNOWNS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.