Article provided by National Electric Ant Eradication Program, Biosecurity Queensland.
They might be tiny, but electric ants (Wassmania auropunctata) are one of the world’s worst invasive pests and can cause significant damage and disruption to native flora, fauna and ecosystems.
Electric ants are native to Central and South America but have now invaded many other counties, including Australia. Electric ant infestations in Australia are limited to Far North Queensland, with known infestations from Bingil Bay in the south, to Kuranda and the Tablelands in the west, Cairns and further north in the Douglas Shire, as far up as the Daintree.
The National Electric Ant Eradication Program (NEAEP) has made significant progress reducing the number of infestations overall but needs everyone’s help to find them all.
NEAEP Acting Principal Project Officer Gary Morton said more than 40% of electric ant infestations were found during registered free yard checks.
“Free yard checks are quick and easy to organise and are a huge help in detecting electric ants while colony numbers may be still low, making eradication much faster and reducing the risk of spread,” Mr Morton said.
“Self-checking is not effective or thorough; the program’s field officers are trained to lure, detect and collect ant samples.”
“Many residents were completely unaware they had electric ants on their properties until we detected them. Early, proactive action is key.”
Free yard checks involve the use of small pieces of sausage meat attached to bamboo skewers being placed around the garden areas where ants are most likely to be, leaving them for one hour, then collecting all samples for identification in the Cairns Diagnostics Laboratory. Following the identification, residents receive a report on any ant species identified.
“Yard checks that find no electric ants are equally valuable to the program and are never a waste of time,” Mr Morton said.
“We encourage residents to have their yard checked at least every 12 months.
“The more properties the program can check, the closer they get to eradication.”
At just 1mm to 1.5mm in size, electric ants are tiny and very hard to spot and can only be positively identified under a microscope by trained specialists.
Electric ants are ginger in colour and are generally slow-moving, often travelling in distinct foraging lines. They do not build distinctive nests but live in mulch, soil, pot plants, under rocks and in garden beds. Electric ant colonies can contain multiple queens, with each laying up to 70 eggs per day.
Left untreated, electric ants will kill and displace native wildlife and animals, disrupt the ecosystems and harm the environment. Native flora and fauna, along with agricultural crops and fruit trees, will fail to thrive.
Recovery is usually rapid following electric ant eradication, with native frogs, ground nesting birds, insects and pollinators returning quickly to their natural habitats after treatment.
Mr Morton said there was often confusion between the different species of invasive ants present in Queensland, which could lead to misinformation.
“The different eradication programs, their detection methodologies and treatments are all designed specifically for each invasive ant,” he said.
“The treatment we use for electric ants is different to that of other eradication programs. We use a small, protein-based granular bait designed specifically for electric ants, which is harmless to humans and animals.”
“On an average 1000m2 block, just 250 grams is used in each treatment. The granules contain less than 1% of the active chemical – so about 2 grams of chemical is distributed.
“The treatment is designed to attract the worker ants who carry it back to feed the queens, before it breaks down within about 48 hours. Only the infested areas receive treatment. In those infested areas, it is unlikely any other species will be present as they will have been driven out by electric ants,” he said.
If NEAEP officers detect a different invasive ant during a free yard check, the relevant program will be contacted so they can commence their specific treatment regimes.
To register for your free yard check
Visit www.daf.qld.gov.au/anthunt, email electricantinfo@daf.qld.gov.au call 13 25 23 or scan the QR code below:
