A total of more than 100 venomous fire ant nests have been uncovered on an army base west of Toowoomba in Queensland, raising concerns about the spread of this potentially deadly pest across Defence Force sites.
The initial discovery of 78 nests at the Oakey Air Base last week set off alarm bells.
Since then, an additional 32 nests have been found, intensifying fears that the invasive fire ants could be spreading across military installations in the area.
In the past year, fire ants have been found in Melbourne, Hobart, and twice in New South Wales, but none of these cases involved as many nests as the recent discovery at the Oakey army base in Queensland.
Authorities say they have detected over 100 nests, all located on Defence Force land, and are using insecticide to treat the affected areas.
This significant find at Oakey has heightened concerns about the spread of these venomous ants within military sites, prompting swift action to contain the threat.
Eradicating a large fire ant infestation can take years, and the recent discovery of over 100 nests at the Oakey Army base in Queensland raises significant concerns.
Situated in the Murray Darling Basin, Australia’s largest inland river system, the area faces the risk of ants spreading through water-borne debris.
There’s also a chance that these colonising ants could be transported between Defence sites on vehicles or aircraft.
These factors complicate containment efforts, underscoring the challenge of fully eradicating the infestation.
A spokesperson for the Queensland-led national eradication program stated that they are conducting additional eradication efforts and surveillance at the Oakey site.
News source: Brisbane Times
