We all have a part to play in the fight against fire ants. In Spring, we’ll be offering free fire ant treatment kits to residents in South East Queensland. Register your interest now, and we’ll contact you as soon as they’re ready to order.
Who can get a free treatment kit
You can get free kits if you live in one of these 4 local government areas.
If you live outside these areas, you can still register. We’ll let you know about any opportunities that come up for your suburb.
- Brisbane: all suburbs, except for Enoggera Reservoir, Lake Manchester, Upper Brookfield, England Creek, Banks Creek and Kholo. These suburbs are already receiving treatment from our teams.
- Ipswich: all suburbs
- Logan: all suburbs
- Gold Coast:
- Alberton
- Arundel
- Ashmore
- Benowa
- Biggera Waters
- Broadbeach Waters
- Broadbeach
- Bundall
- Carrara
- Cedar Creek
- Clagiraba
- Clear Island Waters
- Coombabah
- Coomera
- Gaven
- Gilberton
- Gilston
- Guanaba
- Helensvale
- Highland Park
- Hollywell
- Hope Island
- Jacobs Well
- Kingsholme
- Labrador
- Luscombe
- Main Beach
- Maudsland
- Mermaid Beach
- Mermaid Waters
- Merrimac
- Molendinar
- Mount Nathan
- Nerang
- Norwell
- Ormeau Hills
- Ormeau
- Oxenford
- Pacific Pines
- Paradise Point
- Parkwood
- Pimpama
- Runaway Bay
- Southport
- Stapylton
- Steiglitz
- Surfers Paradise
- Tallai
- Upper Coomera
- Willow Vale
- Wongawallan
- Woongoolba
- Worongary
- Yatala
If you rent, you can still order kits. For apartments or units, it’s best to check with your property manager before you use them.
When you’ll get your kit
In September 2024, we’ll contact you to let you know that the free kits are ready to order.
Once you’ve ordered them, we’ll post them out to you at no cost. You’ll get the first one in late 2024 and another one early in 2025. Fire ants are most active in the warmer months, so these are good times to treat your property.
If you’ve received a free kit from us before, you’ll automatically get them again this year. But if you’ve moved house since then, let us know:
- use your online account
- call us on 13 25 23.
Why you should order a treatment kit
Fire ants are an aggressive introduced pest. They harm people, pets, livestock, and agriculture. If they spread, they could devastate our environment, economy, and outdoor lifestyle.
Treating your property is an easy way to be part of the fight against fire ants, whether you’ve found them or not. Last year, over 41,000 households protected their families by treating their property early. The more of us who treat our homes, the less chance fire ants will have to take hold.
Learn more about why fire ants are so dangerous.
How and when to use the kit
Treating your property is easy, and we’ll send you everything you need. We recommend using the kit as soon as possible after you get it. You don’t have to wait till you see fire ants on your property. They could already be underground, or on a nearby property.
Each treatment kit comes with instructions on how to use it. Follow the instructions carefully, read the product label, and pay attention to any restrictions that could apply to your individual circumstances. See this video for an example of how to use the treatment.
Transcript
We see a close up shot of fire ants moving around the surface of their nest, and the words "How to treat your yard with fire ant bait."
Then, we see a hand, holding a container of ant bait. Next, there are some ant hills in grass, and a look around a householder's garden.
Narrator: Thank you for helping in the fight against fire ants. The bait you've received can be used to treat existing ant nests, or to prevent fire ants from coming into your yard.
Now, the householder unwraps the label and leaflet from the bait package. They are wearing blue gardening gloves.
Narrator: It's quite safe to use, but always read and follow the instructions on the label. Choose a clear day to spread your bait, when it hasn't rained for two days and there's no rain expected for the next two days.
The householder, still wearing their gloves, opens the package and begins to apply the bait to their yard. Thy walk along the yard, sprinkling the bait as they go.
Narrator: Remove the seal from the bait bottle, then shake a light sprinkle over your entire back and front yards, including any garden beds. If you're growing vegetables, just put the bait between rows or around plant beds. Using too much bait isn't a problem, but avoid leaving any gaps of more than 1.5 metres. Do not mow, water, or disturb the treated area for 48 hours.
Fire ants move rapidly on the surface of a nest. Some ants are holding white objects.
Narrator: If you have fire ants on your property, they will collect the bait and take it back to the nest, causing the whole colony to soon die off. If you do find a fire ant nest, make sure you report it.
On the screen, we see the program's details: National Fire Ant Eradication Program. For more information about fire ants, or to report suspect ants, visit fireants.org.au or call 13 25 23.