- Fire ants have been found in Bilinga in the Gold Coast region
- National Fire Ant Eradication Program eradication officers are responding.
- Residents and businesses in Bilinga are urged to look for and report suspect ants and nests online at fireants.org.au or by calling 132 ANT (13 22 68).
Residents and businesses in Bilinga on the Gold Coast, should be on the lookout for fire ants following a detection in the area.
On Friday 11 April, a team from the National Fire Ant Eradication Program visited the site and destroyed the nest using direct nest injection. The program scientists later confirmed the ants are fire ants.
The detection is in the program’s surveillance area. Fire ant detections in the program’s surveillance area do happen from time to time, and there are procedures in place to manage them.
Eradication activities, including intensive treatment and surveillance, will commence up to 500m from the detection site to protect the area and ensure no undetected fire ants remain.
The program is working with the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries in its response to ensure all nests are located and destroyed. Given the detections proximity to the border, the NSW Government has issued a Biosecurity (Fire Ant) Emergency Order, which places conditions on carrier materials. Check the infestations map to learn more.
Eradicating fire ants requires a whole-of-community approach. We need everyone to look for and report fire ants, allow eradication officers property access to conduct eradication activities, and take steps to prevent the spread this invasive pest.
Compliance checks and tracing of materials that can carry fire ants in Bilinga and surrounding areas will help determine the source of the ants.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to immediately check their properties and local area for suspect ants or nests.
Fire ants are copper brown in colour and have a darker abdomen. They measure 2-6mm in length, with a variety of sizes found in each nest. Fire ant nests appear as mounds or patches of loose soil, with no clear entry or exit holes.
Fire ants can hitch rides in materials that can carry fire ants, such as soil, hay, mulch, manure, quarry materials, turf, and potted plants. Human-assisted movement is the biggest risk to their spread.
Visit fireants.org.auor call 132 ANT (13 22 68) for more information.