() – Red or fire ants form flood rafts in the northeastern Australian state of Queensland, and extreme weather conditions threaten a nationwide spread of this highly invasive species.
“Recent torrential rains and wild weather in the region could accelerate the spread of fire ants, one of the world’s worst invasive species,” he warned Tuesday. in a statement Reece Pianta, advocacy officer for the Invasive Species Council (ISC) of Australia.
“Fire ants are most active before or after rains and can form large floating rafts that move with water currents to settle in new areas,” Pianta said, urging residents to be vigilant. The ISC shared a video on social networks in which fire ants are seen moving in a raft formation.
“It’s very easy to do your part. You just have to take a photo of any suspicious ant and report it,” he added.
Queensland has witnessed brutal weather and heavy flooding in recent weeks. Last month, the city of Cairns was cut off by torrential rain caused by the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Jasper. The floods also left many of the more than 150,000 residents stranded on their rooftops.
The models of ISC suggest fire ants will spread to “every corner of Australia” if the outbreak in Queensland is not stopped.
The ISC said in its statement that it recently received a four-year commitment from the state of Victoria worth 70 million Australian dollars (US$46 million) to be allocated to the national fire ant eradication program, which, according to Pianta, means that this is still possible.
Native to South America, the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is an omnivorous species that destroys crops and livestock alike. Its poisonous bite causes pustules and allergic reactions and can kill a human being. In the last century it has spread throughout much of the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, China and Australia. Last year it was detected for the first time in Europe.
The first fire ant infestation in Australia occurred in 2001, according to the ISC. To date, the country has controlled seven infestations, from the Queensland capital of Brisbane to the border with neighboring state New South Wales, he said, adding that the goal is to contain the infestations and then eradicate them.
However, in November 2023, the ants were detected in New South Wales, sparking concerns that they could reach the Murray-Darling River Basin and spread uncontrollably.
At the time, the New South Wales Agriculture Minister, Tara Moriartyreiterated that “imported red ants are a terrible invasive pest that causes serious social, economic and environmental damage.”
“Our teams are focused on limiting the spread and encouraging notification and compliance through a targeted communication campaign,” he added.
Fire ants can spread quickly on their own, but an infestation is often accelerated by human activity, such as in shipping containers or shipments of potted plants or soil.
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