The 2023–24 fire ant treatment season is underway. Is your property scheduled to receive planned program activities?
Use our Planned fire ant activities map below to learn what we will be doing, where and when, and what you can do to help play your part in the fight against fire ants.
Type in an address below to see what area your property is in.
Having issues using our interactive map?
- View a full list of suburbs in each of the planned fire ant activity areas
- View an image of our Fire Ant Response Plan 2023-27 map
- View and download our Fire Ant Response Plan 2023-27 map (PDF, 1.42MB)
We will notify you if your property will be targeted with containment, treatment or suppression activities. This may be in the form of a mailbox brochure, letter, local advertising, email or phone call.
About planned program treatment
Our teams are tasked with implementing a range of activities that are critical to the eradication of fire ants and aligned to Australia’s Fire Ant Response Plan 2023–27.
Treating and surveying all properties in the same area at a similar time is key to fire ant eradication. Missing properties or treating them in a non-systematic way increases the risk of missing nests and further spread.
The timing, frequency and activities conducted in target areas do vary, however, they will encompass:
Containment
Our containment area forms a ring around the fire ant infestation – from Moreton Bay in the north, west to the Lockyer Valley, east to the Gold Coast, and south to the Tweed Shire.
The containment area is indicated by the blue band. Targeted activities including intensive surveillance will be conducted:
- within the 5 km boundary that wraps around the infestation
- by field teams, odour detection dogs and their handlers, and using remote sensing technology
- at regular intervals throughout the year and for 5 years post treatment.
Find out more about containment activities.
Return to the Planned fire ant activities map.
Eradication
Our eradication area forms a band around the inside of the containment boundary. Our targeted treatment areas for 2023–24 will encompass suburbs comprising parts of the Southern Downs, Scenic Rim and the southern Gold Coast.
The entire treatment area is indicated by the red band. Eradication treatment will be conducted:
- between September 2023 to June 2024
- on 100% of all targeted properties that sit within the 10 km treatment band
- by field teams using handheld spreaders, aircraft and utility terrain vehicles
- up to 3 times per year for 2 years – a total of 6 treatments.
Learn more about eradication treatment.
Return to the Planned fire ant activities map.
Suppression
Our suppression area includes all locations that sit beyond the inside edge of the red treatment band.
This area is yet to receive fire ant eradication treatment. To help keep fire ant populations low, community, industry and all levels of government in this area are encouraged to manage fire ants on land they own or rent.
Community self-treatment
Homeowners and tenants living in Logan, Ipswich and selected Gold Coast suburbs are able to order a free fire ant treatment kit to guard their yards against the pest.
Find out if your suburb is eligible.
Self-treatment on private property
Residents and businesses located in all other suburbs can still play their part in the fight against fire ants by treating their own properties by:
- purchasing and using store-bought treatment products.
- hiring a pest manager.
These combined efforts will give us the best and only chance of a future free of fire ants.
Return to the Planned fire ant activities map.
Outbreaks
Any fire ant nests found beyond the containment boundary will receive priority eradication activities. Our response will vary slightly depending on the location and number of nests found however, properties within a 6 km radius of all nests will receive an eradication response.
- Treatment and surveillance will be conducted on all on all properties within 1–2 km of all known fire ant nests.
- Targeted properties within several km of all detections will be surveyed.
- Treatment will be applied up to 3 times per year for 2 years – a total of 6 treatments and surveillance for at regular intervals for up to 5 years post detection.
We also prioritise detections that pose a risk to public safety – schools, childcare centres, parks and sporting fields.
Return to the Planned fire ant activities map.
