(Warning: Untested code)

What happens when you quote the parameter of areaID?

my $SQL = 'DELETE FROM [Production Words] WHERE areaId="ofn01506"';

Or even better, use a placeholder:

my $SQL = "DELETE FROM [Production Words] WHERE areaId=?";
my $sth = $DBH->prepare($SQL);
$sth->execute('ofn01506') || die "Could not execute SQL statement ... 
+maybe invalid?\n$!";
[download]

Placeholders take care of the quoting automagically.