Whilst most of us are well aware of the dreaded termites (or ‘white-ants’ as they’re more commonly known), one of the newest threats to our lifestyle is the discovery of ‘Fire ants’ in Australia.

The first discovery of the South American Fire ant in Queensland was only in 2001 and up until 2015, they had only been discovered in Brisbane twice (once in the Western suburbs an

In 2015, you may remember significant press where they were discovered in New Farm Park (the entire park was shut down for a period of time whilst they were eradicated) but only several weeks later, they were discovered in the City’s Botanical Gardens and then again in the Western suburbs and more recently, the Lockyer Valley.

Last week, a large nest was discovered in Bridgeman Downs and was subsequently baited and destroyed by Biosecurity Queensland.

d once at the Port of Brisbane).

BQ has since issued a warning for residents in the following suburbs to be vigilant and look out for signs of activity…

  • Bridgeman Downs
  • Albany Creek
  • Carseldine
  • Aspley
  • McDowall
  • Brendale
  • Bracken Ridge
  • Fitzgibbon
  • Zillmere
  • Chermside
  • Chermside West
  • Stafford Heights
  • Everton Park
  • Everton Hills
  • Bunya
  • Eatons Hill

So what threat do these species of ants pose and how are they identified?

Fire ant nests look like mounds of loose soil with no visible entry or exit holes.

They can be identified by their coppery-brown colour and darker-coloured abdomen (See photo below)

While small in size (2-6mm), their sting is incredibly painful and in rare cases can lead to anaphylactic shock and death.

Fire ants have been described as one of the worst invasive species to reach Australia’s shores and can potentially ruin our lifestyle, restricting everyday activities such as barbecues, picnics and sporting events.

It was thought the first Fire ants made their way into Australia through a shipping container from South America but at present, Australia is the closest any country has come to eradicating fire ants although it seems that there is a lot of work to do to beat this serious invasive pest.

Places fire ants are likely to be found are in and around logs and rocks, gardening materials such as pot plants, lawns, garden beds, taps and utility pits, in stores of topsoil, mulch, under timber or pallets on the ground, adjacent to buildings and other structures, in untidy or overgrown areas, near areas of permanent water (e.g. the banks of dams, rivers, ponds) or in tufts of grass in open areas where the soil is built up around the tufts

They can spread very quickly where a mated female (Queen) can fly up to 2km. She will then find a suitable nesting site, sheds her wings and starts a new colony.

Fire ant nests can have a single queen or multiple queens. A new queen will lay up to 20 eggs initially. Eggs hatch in 7-10 days and become adults after 9-15 days. A queen can increase egg laying up to 800 eggs per day after initial hatching.

So what should you do if you suspect you have been stung by a Fire Ant?

Medical advice suggests you should apply a cold compress (or ice) as soon as possible to the affected areas to reduce swelling and relieve pain. After a few hours (or even a day or two), a small blister can form at the site of each sting. To prevent secondary infection, wash the blisters gently with soap and water and be careful not to break the blisters.

So there’s today’s lesson in Myrmecology (if you don’t know what this is, see today’s ‘Did You Know’).

Until next week, Happy Listing & Happy Selling.

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Whilst most of us are well aware of the dreaded termites (or ‘white-ants’ as they’re more commonly known), one of the newest threats to our lifestyle is the discovery of ‘Fire ants’ in Australia.