Dean Whitehead educates CWA on NSW fire ants response
Dean Whitehead demonstrates how probes for fire ants are undertaken. Image: The Riverine Grazier/Kimberly Grabham.
By Kimberly Grabham
The global threat of fire ants is under control in NSW, thanks to the efforts of Dean Whitehead and Industry and Investment NSW.
Mr Whitehead spoke at a recent meeting of Hay CWA in response to the threat of fire ants, and to explain the Fire Ant Eradication Program.
Mr Whitehead said the objective in regards to fire ants is eradication, and a stringent process is followed to achieve this goal.
Fire ants were first detected in Australia in Brisbane in 2001. They are native to South America, but have established globally and are one of the world’s worst invasive species.
They displace native ant species, preying on any other insect and invertebrates unable to defend themselves. They can attack and sometimes kill ground inhabiting vertebrate species such as birds, reptiles and small mammals.
Fire ants are currently absent from NSW but infest around 600,000 hectares in South East Queensland, close to the NSW border, which poses an ongoing risk of new infestations in NSW.
“Recent infestations in South Murwillumbah and Wardell are currently being treated with the goal of eradication,” Mr Whitehead said.
“The estimated cost for Australia if eradication fails is $1.65 billion a year. In 2014 one nest was found at Port Botany in NSW and was declared successfully eradicated in that area in 2016.”
Genetic testing of the first detection in Northern NSW indicated it was related to the most southern report of fire ants from the QLD infestation.
“The habitat of a fire ant is open disturbed areas, such as lawns, schools, parks, roadsides, golf courses and sports fields. However, the species is not found in shaded and undisturbed areas such as bushland and forests,” said Mr Whitehead.
“Importantly, it takes just a single queen to start a new nest.
“New nests can sometimes be established by queens walking.”
When fire ants spread via human assisted movement, it is via transport of an existing nest or new queen following mating flight.
New queens choose where to land, and do so in baled material (hay, sugarcane mulch), mining and quarrying materials, potted plants, organic mulch, turf, agricultural and earthmoving equipment, and soil and anything with soil in it.
Fire ants will swarm aggressively to attack when disturbed.
Mr Whitehead went on to detail highly visible operations the NSW DPI Compliance staff have undertaken.
Once fire ants are detected in an area, Emergency Orders are issued.
“The proximity of the detection to the New South Wales border indicates an increased likelihood that fire ants could spread into New South Wales through human assisted movement of carrier materials and natural spread,” he said.
“The high number of nests detected in parts of the fire ant infested area in Queensland increases the likelihood of flying mated female fire ants (new queens) contaminating fire ant carrier material being moved into New South Wales.
“During these operations and emergency orders, 99 vehicles were stopped, with 36 from fire ant infested areas, seven vehicles were returned to Queensland under biosecurity direction due to lacking documentation, three formal warnings issued, and two penalties notice were issued.”
