Australia’s climate, landscape and absence of natural predators unfortunately make it a perfect home for fire ants.
Since fire ants were first detected in Brisbane in February 2001, they have spread across Queensland through natural means and human-assisted movement. Nests have been found in an area spanning an estimated 800,000 hectares.
Scientists estimate that without the activities of the National Fire Ant Eradication Program, fire ants would have spread west to Longreach, north to Bowen and south to Canberra by now.
