As Redland City residents clean up after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, it’s important to stay alert for fire ants.
Fire ants may have been disturbed by the recent heavy rain and flooding and have been known to raft on water.
They pose serious risks to the health of people, animals and pets with their aggressive behaviour and painful stings.
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Many residents are now facing a significant clean-up, and moving debris is unavoidable.
However, when doing so, please check before relocating any material that can carry fire ants and take a moment to check your property for any new mounds or nests that may have appeared.
If you spot fire ants, report them within 24 hours by calling 13 22 68 or via the online form at fireants.org.au/report
How to identify fire ants
- Copper brown in colour with a darker abdomen
- Quite small at 2-6 mm and found in a variety of sizes within the one nest
- Aggressive behaviour – hundreds of ants will come out of a nest if disturbed to swarm the threat, trying to sting over and over, causing the sensation of being on fire.
How to identify nests
- Fire ant nests can come in various shapes and sizes – they can appear as dome-shaped mounds or be flat and look like a small patch of disturbed soil with no obvious entry or exit holes
- They are usually found in sunny open areas such as lawns, parks, along roadsides and unused cropland
- Nests are also found next to or under other objects on the ground, such as timber, logs, fence lines, rocks, pavers or bricks and dams.
For information about Council’s Fire Ant Management Program visit Council’s website.
For more information on fire ants visit the National Fire Ant Eradication Program website at fireants.org.au
