Fire ant fight ramps up to halt rapid spread of insect invaders

Residents are being urged to check their properties for the venomous and invasive species fire ants as the treatment season begins across the city.

OFFICERS from Biosecurity Queensland have hit the ground running to halt the spread of fire ants across the Gold Coast this treatment season.

The department was forced to close off a field at Runaway Bay Soccer Club earlier this year after four nests were discovered.

The fire ant season runs from September to June. Picture: Patrick Hamilton

It was the furthest south the destructive pest had been found on the Gold Coast after they were discovered at areas including Hope Island, Helensvale and Labrador.

Tweed Shire Council fears the Argentinian invaders will spread over the border and form ‘super colonies’.

The fire ant treatment season runs from September to June, marking warmer ground temperatures and the insect’s emergence from winter hibernation, according to the department.

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A helicopter used for the aerial treatment of fire ants in southeast Queensland.

It’s expected baiting will continue by foot, all-terrain vehicles and helicopters until June, 2020.

The Gold Coast’s official Fire Ant Biosecurity Zone is essentially north of Coomera River, but all residents have been urged to check their properties for signs of the aggressive ants.

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Residents who live in a treatment area must allow officers to enter or fly over their property to undertake baiting.

Officers may even forcibly enter properties with the help of Queensland Police.

Baiting treatment involves using a corn grit mix of soybean oil infused with an insect growth regulator, commonly found in cockroach baits and flea treatments.

Biosecurity Queensland has moved to assure the public the bait thinly spread across backyards and gardens, is targeted at fire ants and not harmful to humans or animals.

Tweed Shire Council is already bracing for the spread of the insect over the border.

Helicopters will be used to target the ants on large properties.

The National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program aims to rid the country of the ants within a decade.

Fire ants can decimate crops and threaten the country’s agricultural industries.

The omnivorous ant also pack a painful and venomous bite, and some people may become allergic to the venom, triggering anaphylaxis.

First found in Brisbane in 2011, the ants have spread in all directions from the city.

Report suspected fire ant activity to Biosecurity Queensland on 132 523.