Fire Ants Gold Coast
Fire ants or more specifically the red imported fire ant (Solenoposis invicta) are a serious invasive pest. The fire ant incursion has spread from Brisbane and now fire ants have been found on the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales (Sawtell and Murwillumbah).
Fire ants deliver very painful stings (like a bee sting) and can colonise an area. If they become established, not only will they affect the local environment, they will change the Australian way of life.
The Queensland Government have an active Fire Ant Control Program to eliminate the fire ants and Gold Coast Pest Services are doing our bit to help.
Fire Ants - FAQ
What do fire ants look like?
Red imported fire ant worker
Red imported fire ants are small ants, with workers ranging in size between 2-6 mm long.
They are a shiny brown / red colour, with their abdomens normally darker than their heads and bodies.
What do fire ant nests look like?
Fire ant nest
Fire ant nests are hard to spot when small, but when they get a bigger they have a number of unique features:
Small dome shaped mound (up to 40cm high) - a pile of loose dirt with no obvious entrances
Often found on open grassy areas or next to objects on the ground (poles, rocks, pavers, pavement)
Ants will rush out of the nest when disturbed
Where are fire ants in Queensland?
Red imported fire ants have been introduced in to Queensland several times in Brisbane and once in Gladstone, arriving in shipments from overseas. However, it is one of the original incursions that became established in western Brisbane that has now spread.
Fire ants have been recorded in Brisbane (including Ipswich, Logan, Redlands, and the Scenic Rim), as far north as Caboolture, on the Gold Coast, down to the border and to the west into the Lockyer Valley. There have even been a couple of nests found in Toowoomba. The main areas of infestation have been to the west and south of Brisbane, down to the northern Gold Coast.
Where are fire ants in New South Wales?
With fire ants nests regularly being identified on the Gold Coast, it was only a matter of time before they were found in northern New South Wales. At the end of 2023, nests were found in Sawtell and early in 2024, nests were found in Murwillumbah. Although these have been treated and destroyed and there have been no other fire ant nests found to date, there is an active treatment and monitoring program in place around both sites.
What happens if you get bitten by fire ants?
Fire ant stings can result in pustules
Fire ant stings are a bit like a bee sting. However, a victim will often get multiple stings as a result of standing on or near a nest.
In countries where the red imported fire ant has become established, several people die of fire ant stings each year, as a result of severe allergic reactions. These allergic reactions can lead to anaphylactic shock, breathing difficulties and potential death. If you suspect an allergic reaction after being stung, seek medical attention immediately.
Are fire ants bad for Australia?
Red imported fire ants are considered one of the most invasive pests globally. If they become established in an area they will have a devastating impact on the environment. Yhey will often kill many of the native ground dwelling insects and impact reptiles, frogs and ground dwelling birds.
They will also cause a major impact on farming areas - impacting pastures which are used for cattle, sheep and horses, as well as agricultural and horitcultural areas.
For humans it will change our way of life as you will need regular treatments of the backyard and will need to be careful about sitting down or playing in any grassed areas.
With the climate in Australia ideal for fire ants, they have the potential to spread across much of Australia, certainly the coastal areas which house most of the population.
The national and state governments are already spending a significant amount of money in an attempt to eradicate / contain the infestation. However, if they become truely established the costs for agricultural loses and ongoing management will be significant.
What should you do if you think you have fire ants?
Fire ants are a reportable pest, which means if you have fire ants on your property, it needs to be reported to Queensland Biosecurity using their online form or by calling 13 25 23.
Gold Coast Pest Services are accredited to treat for fire ants. As fire ants are a significant health threat to your family and pets, we can generally get out in a day or so. Please give us a call for a quote to inspect and treat. If we confirm the presence of fire ants, in addition to the treatment we will complete the reports to Queensland Biosecurity on your behalf.
Businesses in the fire ant biosecurity zone need to be aware there are strict movement control requirements in place – legal obligations that then must be adhered to.
What’s involved in a fire ant treatment from Gold Coast Pest Services
Fire ant inspection
Gold Coast Pest Services will not only inspect the nest(s) you have spotted, but will inspect the rest of your property for fire ant activity - small nests can be hard to spot
If we positively identify you have fire ants we need to collect a sample to send to then Government for genetic identification
In order to ensure complete eradication we need to identify and treat all nests on your property
Fire ant treatment
We follow the specific treatment method as detailed by Biosecurity Queensland
All visible nests will be injected with insecticide
Fire ant bait spread can be applied to the entire area, which will be taken by ants belonging to any hard-to-locate, small nests that missed the injection treatment
We will return a week after treatment to check confirm eradication
Gold Coast Pest Services will complete all paperwork and send into Biosecurity Queensland
More fire ant information
Fire ant movement controls
The fire ant infestation area can expand naturally each year as nests produce kings and queens to start new nests. These flying ants can fly as far as a couple of kilometres. However, the biggest problem in containing the infestation is that fire ant nests often get moved in soil and plants by businesses in the building, landscape and agriculture industries. Homeowners can also move nests unwittingly during renovations and landscaping. Businesses and homeowners need to be be aware that there are strict movement control requirements in the fire ant biosecurity zone.
