Fire ants were first detected in Brisbane, Queensland on 22 February 2001. It is thought that they may have arrived up to 20 years earlier.
How they entered Australia is not known but it is likely that they entered in shipping containers from America. Imported cargo poses a risk as pests can 'hitchhike' undetected.
There are many types of ant species found in Australia, but only Solenopsis invicta qualifies as an invasive fire ant.
Where in Australia could fire ants spread
Australia's climate and lack of natural predators make it the perfect home for fire ants.
The Invasive Species Council advises that more than 97% of Australia is a suitable climate for fire ants. They could inhabit almost the entire continent except for the most extreme, coldest locations.
If not eradicated the impacts of fire ants in Australia will surpass the combined damage done each year by our worst pests: feral cats, wild dogs, foxes, camels, rabbits and cane toads.
Image courtesy of Invasive Species Council under the Creative Commons Licence 4.0
What is a fire ant incursion
An incursion is when invasive ants pass through our borders and manage to establish one or more colonies in Australia. The presence of these ants is considered an incursion (rather than an intercept).
Number of incursions in Australia
We have successfully eradicated 6 separate incursions in Queensland, and one each in New South Wales and Western Australia.
This highly adaptive pest has been found at every capital city port in Australia, except Tasmania.
| Location | Year | Current status |
|---|---|---|
| Port of Brisbane | 2001 | Eradicated (2005) |
| Richlands/South East Queensland | 2001 | Eradication underway |
| Yarwun, Gladstone | 2006 | Eradicated (2007) |
| Port of Gladstone | 2013 | Eradicated (2016) |
| Port Botany, Sydney | 2014 | Eradicated (2016) |
| Brisbane Airport | 2015 | Eradicated (2019) |
| Port of Brisbane | 2016 | Eradicated (2019) |
| Port of Fremantle, Western Australia | 2019 | Eradicated (2023) |
| Port of Brisbane | 2021 | Eradicated (2024) |
Eradication can only be declared after multiple treatments and extensive human, aerial and canine surveillance over several years.