By CAITLIN CROWLEY
ONE of Australia’s most invasive pests has been detected on the Darling Downs for the first time with two fire ant nests uncovered north of Toowoomba.
A member of the public discovered a suspect nest on their property at Kleinton near Highfields and reported it to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program.
A spokesperson for the program told the Caller its teams have since inspected more than 180 properties in the surrounding area and found one other nest on a nearby property.
“The nests have been destroyed and we are methodically conducting treatment and surveillance of all properties in the area to ensure there aren’t any more nests,” the spokesperson said.
“We have also taken a sample of the ants for genetic testing.”
Up until now, fire ants were thought to be contained to two biosecurity zones in South East Queensland, extending as far west as the Lockyer Valley.
The discovery of the two nests is a first for the Toowoomba region and will put farming communities across the Downs on high alert.
According to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program the species has the potential to cause more damage annually than Australia’s worst pests combined, with a wide range of impacts from agriculture and tourism to lifestyle.
The Darling Downs’ multi-billion dollar farming economy is in the firing line with fire ants affecting more than 50 crops as well as nurseries and turf farms.
Fire ant mounds can also cause costly damage to agricultural equipment such as irrigation systems and harvesters.
Fire ants also present a serious risk to livestock and are known to attack animals, inflicting painful stings around the eyes, mouth and nose which can lead to blindness and even suffocation.
Their presence can also stop animals from being able to reach food or water without being seriously stung.
The potential impacts on the region’s native species are equally dire, with animals that nest or feed on the ground including insects, spiders, lizards, frogs, birds and mammals all vulnerable to fire ant attacks.
Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts took aim at state agriculture minister Mark Furner over the ants’ spread west after the concerning discovery in his electorate.
“This is going to be a massive economic cost to Queensland because this minister has let these ants get out of control and now they’re in our own backyard,” Watts told the Caller.
“It’s also going to affect people’s recreation and our ability to use the beautiful garden city we have.
“This minister needs to stop announcing things, get on the ground, spend the money and control this spread. It’s absolutely a disgrace that this has got out of the initial cordon they put around it in the valley.”
Minister Furner’s office directed questions to the department of agriculture today.
The spokesperson for the National Fire Ant Eradication Program said eradicating fire ants requires a whole-of-community approach.
“This means community, business, industry and all levels of government (local, state and Commonwealth) working together to protect Australia from this invasive pest,” the spokesperson said.
Fire ants have also been found in Gladstone but were successfully eradicated in 2016.
For more information or to report nests head to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program website.
