Sixty people in Queensland alone reported extreme reactions to fire ant stings requiring medical attention in March, with 23 people hospitalised in south-east Queensland as the pests moved south to take a toll on parents, children, pets, livestock and farmers' bottom lines.
Residents in affected areas are now pleading for more help.
The Queensland Government announced extra funding to help tackle invasive fire ants, while the NSW Government has announced a ban on fire ant-carrying materials, such as hay, from infested and storm-impacted south-east Queensland areas from entering the state in an effort to prevent an infestation.
“The impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred are being felt in our agricultural sector in the north of the state,” NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said.
Amanda Lintott is a specialist in surface treatments to stop red imported fire ants (RIFA) hitching a ride on vehicles to spread further after they have floated south. She says the tiny creatures are the ultimate unwanted hitch-hikers.
“They can crawl into a vehicle, tray load, or dry site anywhere and remain hidden until they bite — then everyone will know,” she said.
Fire ants can swarm on to people and animals within a few seconds and sting simultaneously, injecting venom that causes a painful local reaction. Each ant can deliver multiple stings.
Once they get to a new destination on dry land where they can set up a colony, they can travel overland or underground to infest new areas. Colonies typically number from 100,000 to 500,000 ants — or millions, in the case of super colonies.
Fire ant queens can fly up to 5km to establish new nests, or considerably more with favourable winds. But when they hitch a ride on a vehicle, where they are hard to detect if they get among loads, they can travel much greater distances.
“Ultimately, the risk they pose is to infest all of Australia and most of Tasmania,” said Amanda, who recently became the first in Australia to introduce an automotive surface treatment to kill and prevent the pests in vehicles, through her brand of products, Autonomy Co.
Amanda’s RoadBlock Spider and Ant Automotive Treatment has been approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority for use on vehicles and machinery carrying material that may unwittingly carry the aggressive insects.
Effective upon hitch-hiking pests within minutes of contact, the all-Australian formulation also protects drivers and passengers against painful and distracting infestations and bites from the aggressive pests that can hurt adults, children and pets.
“This flood-borne spread is a serious problem a lot of people are not aware of. Since the floods, entire RIFA colonies have been filmed clinging on to debris, ready to make nests on dry ground in Queensland and beyond,” Amanda said.
“Experts have been reported warning that extreme weather events could sweep the highly invasive species into other parts of Australia, now and in the future.
“Private and commercial drivers often won’t even know they have unwelcome guests aboard or about their vehicle until they sting.”
RoadBlock is a commercial grade aerosol product specifically designed to treat and prevent ants in vehicles including cars, trucks, recreational vehicles, campers, four-wheel drives, fleets and heavy vehicles and agricultural machinery that can spread the pest.
“RoadBlock is the only ready-to-use pest control product in Australia specifically approved for vehicles and the latest approval will allow us to join the fight against the dangerous spread of fire ants,” Amanda said.
“We can now assist drivers, travellers and fleet owners who live or work in high risk areas to reduce the chances of further spreading beyond Queensland and northern NSW.”
The tiny (6mm long) but enormously destructive RIFA pest is capable of forming colonies in 99 per cent of mainland Australia and 80 per cent of Tasmania if left unchecked, or carried unwittingly, to new areas by vehicles and machinery that passes through contaminated areas. To date, multiple colonies have been found in Queensland and northern NSW, but RIFA are quickly heading further south towards Victoria.
Under the Biosecurity Act 2014, everyone has a general biosecurity obligation to take all reasonable steps to prevent the spread of fire ants.
