Invasive red fire ants are wreaking havoc in Australia, sending dozens of people to hospitals and creating worry about how bad things will get.
What’s happening?
After the remnants of Cyclone Alfred dumped heavy rain on Southeast Queensland in early March, an already big problem worsened, CNN reported, citing the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Sixty people required medical attention because of fire ant stings, and 23 were hospitalized. A puppy was found dead on a fire ant nest, and livestock and native species are at risk as well.
The government has earmarked another 24 million Australian dollars for suppression efforts, but residents are concerned about the ants’ explosion and potential for harm, which includes pustules and allergic reactions in humans.
“They’re just everywhere. They’re crawling over patios, they’re coming into our homes, they get flicked up on the lawn mower, on the tractor,” construction worker Scott Rider told ABC Rural.
Why is this important?
Fire ants reached the country via Brisbane in 2001 and have since spread to Queensland, New South Wales, and the Murray-Darling Basin, according to the Invasive Species Council. CNN noted the critters have established themselves in North America and China and last year for the first time were seen in Europe.
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Over 95% of Australia is susceptible to the invasive species, and it could cost the economy $2 billion AUD every year. A study also estimated that 38% of mammals, 45% of birds, 69% of reptiles, and 95% of frogs in Southeast Queensland would experience population declines because of the ants.
The state Fire Ant Suppression Taskforce has set up a perimeter around the infestation to try to keep the animals from spreading further. It has so far spent $61 million AUD on bait and aerial treatments to reduce the density of colonies by up to 80%.
“The only assistance that residents in the [suppression] zone are getting is bait being sent out if they report fire ants,” horse agister Kirsty McKenna told ABC Rural. “There is no team assistance and no support.”
What’s being done about the fire ant invasion?
A national plan hopes to eradicate fire ants by 2032, but landholders in the inner suppression zone have to treat the problem themselves. Otherwise, granules are spread via airplanes, helicopters, drones, all-terrain vehicles, and handheld devices, with the size of the treatment area determining the method.
Areas should be undisturbed, including by mowing or watering, for 48 hours afterward, and poultry should be kept away for 24 hours.
Hay, turf grass, and other materials also can’t be moved without inspection and cannot cross borders.
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