Rodney Stevens
As community concerns grow after a nest of imported Red Fire Ants were detected at Wardell on January 19, there are fears one of the world’s most destructive and invasive pest may have been spread to NSW from Queensland during recovery efforts from the devastating 2022 floods.
A gardener who disturbed the nest at Wardell, about 80km south of the first detection of Red Fire Ants at Murwillumbah in November 2023, reported experiencing blistering pain after being bitten.
The Red Fire Ant nest at Wardell was discovered in a garden bed at a temporary housing village for flood survivors, prompting fears the ants could have been unknowingly brought from Queensland during flood recovery efforts.
The NSW Government has responded to more than 500 calls reporting suspected Red Fire Ant sightings across the Northern Rivers since the November detection at Murwillumbah, but no Red Fire Ants were found at any of the locations.
NSW DPI chief invasive species officer, Scott Charlton said the nest at Wardell had been eradicated and the site is safe.
“It’s been treated with … Fipronil injection, and the immediate area around there has been treated with insect growth regulator which is a broader-scale approach,” he said.
“We’ve done initial surveillance of the site to make sure that there are no ants that could impact the community living there, and we’ve secured the site with fencing.
Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide that disrupts the nervous system of insects, leading to hyper-excitation of the central nervous system, convulsions, and death.
The poison, which was banned in Europe and the United Kingdom to protect honey bees, was used widely to try to eradicate varroa mite during 2023 in NSW.
NSW DPI staff are now trying to determine where the Red Fire Ants came from, but Mr Charlton confirmed the plants and materials in the garden bed where the ant nest was found were sourced locally, from the Ballina area.
“We’ve acted quickly to visit a couple of sites … we’ve deployed the odour-detection dogs to those sites to make sure they’re safe,” he said.
“We’re still investigating the very complex supply chain issues associated with multiple products on a site.
“If there is a direct line to Queensland it’s a more simple story, but there are people who buy things from Queensland and sell them on.”
A 5km biosecurity control order has been established around the Wardell site, restricting the movement of materials including soil, hay, mulch, manure, turf, and potted plants, which will be followed by a comprehensive 500 metre baiting and surveillance program.
Red Fire Ants have the potential to cost Australia more than $2 billion a year and can impact our environment by feeding on native fauna that nests or feeds on the ground, including insects, spiders, frogs, lizards, birds and mammals, they can displace or kill native species, eat and damage seeds, and predate on insects and animals that pollinate native plants.
The ants can damage sensitive electrical equipment like air conditioners and meter boxes by chewing the insulation around wires, causing a short circuit, they have been known to attack young animals and livestock, stinging around the eyes, mouth, and nose, leading to blindness and suffocation.
The National Fire Ant Eradication Program states Red Fire Ants have a painful sting and leave a burning sensation that can last up to an hour.
Human or pet encounters with Red Fire Ants can involve tens or hundreds of ants that swarm and all sing at once repeatedly, causing a severe burning or fiery sensation, swelling, and redness.
Unlike other insect stings, Fire Ant venom builds up in the body, meaning the more you or your pet is stung, the greater the risk is of an extreme reaction.
After a few hours or up to a day or two, small blisters or pustules may form at sting sites, which can become itchy and take up to 10 days to heal.
While there have been no deaths in Australia from Red Fire Ant bites, in the United States, where the insects that are native to the Amazon areas of Central America are widespread, there have been more than 80 reported deaths, almost all from Anaphylactic reactions to Fire Ant bites.
Report any suspected Red Fire Ant sightings call the hotline on 1800 680 244 or fill out the online form at https://brnw.ch/21wEMwh