Fire Ants ...
Fire Ants, Solenopsis invicta, are serious pests which have been detected in Queensland, Australia. They inflict a painful sting and if not eradicated will seriously affect our lifestyle. They are the greatest ecological threat to Australia since the introduction of the rabbit and are potentially worse than the cane toad.
What do they look like?
Fire ants look very much like ordinary house or garden ants.
Fire ants:
- Are small
- Are coppery-brown in colour on the head and body, with a darker abdomen
- Come in a variety of sizes within one nest, ranging from 2mm to 6 mm. This is a distinguishing feature of fire ants
- Have nests with no obvious entry or exit holes on top of them
- Can be distinguished by their aggressive behaviour, particularly near the nest
Their nests can appear as dome-shaped mounds, up to 40cm high, or can be found next to, or underneath other objects found on the ground, such as timber, logs, rocks, pavers, bricks etc. Mounds will not always be evident, but are usually found in open areas such as lawns, pastures, along roadsides and unused cropland. Mounds are rarely found in frequently cultivated areas. This species could easily be confused with the common coastal brown ant and as well as some local native ants.
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