Successful eradication of yellow crazy ants from Mount Peter and Wrights Creek
A knockout blow has been delivered in Cairns to one of the most serious invasive pests in the world, a species that sprays acid, kills native wildlife and leaves a trail of destruction in its wake.
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The yellow crazy ant, one of the most serious invasive pests in the world, has been eradicated from two sites south of Cairns.
The sites total the equivalent almost 70 soccer fields and includes sugarcane and hillside forest sites in Mount Peter and Wrights Creek.
“Their extremely aggressive nature makes them a significant threat to not only the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, but to our community and the region’s economy as a whole,”
Environment Minister Leanne Linard said.
“The eradication effort at these two sites included five treatments over two years to reduce ant numbers, followed by several years of surveys and spot treatments.”
The sites were identified in 2017 and 2018 and have gone through long-term treatment and intensive surveys, including periodic surveillance by highly trained odour detection dogs, before being declared as eradicated.
The ants often kill native animals and leave a path of destruction in their wake disrupting delicate ecosystems.
“When yellow crazy ants spread, they can quickly outnumber native species and invade their habitat, killing and displacing native species and wreaking havoc for agriculture,” Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said.
“Eradicating this pest will help protect the tropical rainforests of North Queensland for the native species that live there, like the southern cassowary, mahogany glider and northern bettong.
Wet Tropics Management Authority Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program Manager Lucy Karger said they had managed to declare six sites eradicated in the region.
“It takes a lot of time, resources and co-operation from the community before we can confidently declare a site as yellow crazy ant-free,” she said.
“We are very grateful to the landholders for their support and thrilled to tick these two sites off our list.”
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Originally published as Successful eradication of yellow crazy ants from Mount Peter and Wrights Creek
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