A vigilant landscaping contractor between Byron and Lismore has identified a red fire ant risk and altered Red Imported Fire Ant Biosecurity team this week.
The landscaper was installing pallets of turf delivered from southeast Queensland at a private property and the Red Imported Fire Ant Biosecurity team has undertaken eradication actions following the detection of the fire ants contained in the transported turf.
Compliance blitz needed
‘This latest detection confirms our concerns around the growing build up of fire ant numbers within suppression zones,’ Invasive Species Council Advocacy Manager, Reece Pianta said.
‘We call on the state government to urgently conduct a suppression and compliance blitz to prevent the spread of these tiny killers. I’ve been to fields with hundreds of fire ant nests less than 50 metres from turf farm production areas. This is a recipe for a national fire ant disaster. Fire ants are one of the world’s worst super pests, and their unchecked spread will result in economic damage greater than that caused by cane toads, rabbits, feral cats, and foxes combined.’
Quick response
The NSW Fire Ant Program team and detection dogs were onsite within two hours of the report being received by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) biosecurity division.
Samples were collected from the site and transported directly to the NSW Government’s Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute, where diagnostic entomologists confirmed the positive identification for the invasive species on Thursday 13 November.
Individual Biosecurity Directions have been served on the turf supplier and landscape contractor to ensure there is no further movement of the lawn materials.
DPIRD biosecurity team members used sniffer dogs and systematically searched around 140m2 of turf to locate the ants and the site will be treated to ensure that the area is free form ants.
In collaboration with the NSW team the National Fire Ant Eradication Program are undertaking investigations with the Queensland based lawn turf supplier to ascertain why there were fire ants in the turf despite appropriate documentation being supplied that certified the turf was treated before transport.
Humans and animals at risk
‘To eradicate fire ants we can’t kill most of them, we must systematically treat 100 per cent of the land in the infestation zone, said Ms Pianta.
‘If fire ants spread to other parts of Australia it will undermine eradication efforts and put humans and animals at risk. This is a stark reminder to the Queensland LNP government: strengthening the fire ant eradication program must be a first 100 day priority. An immediate boost in 2025 can get eradication on track and long term eradication funding after the 2027 expiry date can get the job done.’
There are strict restrictions for moving material from control areas. Breaching the emergency biosecurity order carries penalties of up to $1.1 million for an individual and up to $2.2 million for a corporation.
Residents and businesses can report any suspicious ant activity to 1800 680 244 or by visiting www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/forms/report-exotic-ants.
Fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are prohibited matter under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and a long standing Biosecurity Emergency Order is in place to regulate the movement of high-risk materials from fire ant infested areas into or around NSW.
Fire ants are dark reddish-brown with a darker black-brown abdomen and range in size from two to six millimetres long.
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