17 May 2024
- Fire ant nests being treated in Meringandan West, Toowoomba
- Experts from the National Fire Ant Eradication Program are responding.
- Meringandan residents and businesses urged to look for and report suspect nests online at fireants.org.au or by calling 13 25 23.
The National Fire Ant Eradication Program is responding to a new detection in Meringandan West, Toowoomba.
Two suspect nests were located by the Program’s odour detection dog team on 14 May. The team was in the area conducting surveillance as part of compliance tracing activities. The tracing is not linked to the recent detection in Oakey.
Both nests have been treated using liquid insecticide.
Whilst this new detection is concerning, it demonstrates that the decision to strengthen the national program’s compliance function to address spread through human-assisted movement was the right one.
Field teams were on site yesterday and are there again today conducting eradication activities to ensure all nests are located and if necessary, treated.
Residents and businesses in Meringandan West are encouraged to join the fight by looking for and reporting any suspect nests or ants.
Fire ants are copper brown in colour and have a darker abdomen. They measure 2–6 millimeters in length with a variety of sizes found in each nest. Fire ant nests appear as mounds or patches of loose soil and have no obvious entry or exit holes.
Fire ants are attracted to disturbed soil and can be transported through human-assisted movement of organic materials. This is the greatest risk to their spread and can have devasting impacts on our environment, economy, human and animal health, and our outdoor way of life.
Visit fireants.org.au for more information.