Published 11 December 2025
Abigail loves being outside. The 5-year-old enjoys playing with her friends at the park and in the backyard, doing what kids do best. But after an encounter with fire ants that left her hospitalised, Abigail is now hesitant to step outside.
One morning, Abigail’s older sister asked her to take some food scraps to the compost. On the short walk back to the house, the youngster unknowingly stepped near a fire ant nest. Within seconds, fire ants swarmed her legs, stinging her repeatedly.
‘They bit me, and I didn’t see their nest anywhere,’ Abigail says.
Abigail’s story is not unique. Fire ants pose serious risks to our health, environment, economy and outdoor way of life.
The National Allergy Centre of Excellence and Anaphylaxis Australia predicts one-third of people in fire ant-infested areas are stung each year, and a quarter of those stung develop an allergic reaction.
If left untreated, fire ant stings could also place significant strain on healthcare systems, with an estimated $536 million in household costs linked to human health and lifestyle impacts, according to Central Queensland University’s cost-benefit analysis.
For families like Abigail’s, the reality of outdoor life is changing. The days of running barefoot across the grass without a second thought are becoming a distant memory. Now, Abigail wears pants and a long-sleeve shirt whenever she plays outside to reduce the risk of stings.
‘I cannot play outside with my friends … because I don’t want them to go to the doctors. It is important to get rid of fire ants so they don’t bite us.’ Abigail says.
Watch Abigail's story
On screen text: Fire ants can have a devastating impacts on our health, environment, economy, and outdoor way of life. We spoke with Abigail about her experience of being swarmed and stung by fire ants in her backyard when she was just 5 years old.
Abigail: When I got stung by fire ants it was burning.
On screen text: What happened on the day you were stung by fire ants?
Abigail: My sister told me to do her job. Her job was to take my nan's scraps and put it we put in the tree that helps grow plants. And then on my way back, fire ants bit me. And I didn't see their nest anywhere.
On screen text: Are the fire ants gone from your backyard now?
Abigail: Yeah, but they can still come in cause they're near my gate. They can crawl through it and still come sting us. And they can make a new nest. Long pants so they don’t come up and bite me, and a long-sleeved t-shirt.
On screen text: What do you wear outside now to help protect yourself from fire ant stings?
Abigail: Long pants so they don’t come up and bite me, and a long sleeved t-shirt.
On screen text: Is there anything you used to do outside that you don't do anymore?
Abigail: I can't play outside with my friends with fire ants. And I’d warn my friends, so they don't go and play there. Because I don't want them going to the doctors. It's important to get rid of fire ants so they don't bite us.
On screen text: Fire ants pose a serious risk to children, causing painful stings, and making parks, playgrounds, and backyards unusable. Our mission to eradicate fire ants in about protecting Australian kids and our outdoor way of life. Don't ignore fire ants.