NO sooner had I recorded a podcast last week highlighting that fire ants create “floating rafts” to survive floods, ABC news uncovered a nasty nest at a flooded property in Bundamba.
It raises the question; can authorities really get rid of fire ants when the little biters are so tough?
The Invasive Species Council thinks it can if there’s a very ambitious program to eliminate this pest, but it will take up to 10 years and millions of dollars.
America has had fire ants for 100 years. Australia about 20, but we do have the advantage of modern technology and treatment baits.
Advocacy manager for the Invasive Species Council Reece Pianta told me recently he was confident the baiting plan would work. He added the reason fire ants were contained to 800,000 hectares was because resources have concentrated on containment in South East Queensland.
The goal with new resources allocated to the program is to eradicate fire ants.
More recently conspiracy theories have hit social media to the detriment of the program.
There’s been a small minority of property owners refusing treatment on their mainly rural land.
The fire ant program can only be successful if 100 per cent of properties are treated.
While the Invasive Species Council is not involved in the treatment, it has publicly supported the eradication program.
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