Floods in Australia don’t stop deadly red fire ants from spreading: they form a ‘raft’ | Animals

The red fire ant (solenopsis invicta) is originally from South America, but is also found in the US, Australia, China, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines and Europe. It is therefore one of the most invasive species in the world. This means that they are a real pest for the ecosystem and agriculture in their ‘host country’. They eat the local plants and animals. And they also pose a danger to humans. The venom released when they bite can lead to anaphylactic shock and – in extreme cases – even death.

Since 2022, the red fire ant has been on the European Union’s list of invasive exotic species. The ant species may therefore not be kept or traded in EU member states and must be actively controlled. In Australia, the species was first discovered in 2001 in the state of Queensland. It is not known how she ended up there. The red fire ant probably traveled on container ships from the US.

Australia is also trying to eradicate the ant species. The financial effort for this has been increased since November. It then became known that for the first time several new nests of the red fire ant had been spotted in New South Wales, the state bordering Queensland. Authorities are therefore calling on people in southeastern Queensland and northern New South Wales – where the storms have wreaked havoc – to be vigilant against the fire ants, which drift with the current to “gain a foothold.” into new areas”. To disperse, the worker ants build a so-called bivouac: they clump together into a stable raft that floats on the water. Images of this were taken on sugar cane farms south of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, where the red fire ants have already attacked more than 700,000 hectares of land.

There is a lot of fear Down Under. Australia’s unique climate and lack of natural enemies make it “the perfect home for red fire ants.” According to government experts, the species could take over “the entire continent in all but the most extremely cold locations” if left unchecked.

A colony that is three years old can consist of as many as 100,000 ants and an adult queen can lay up to 5,000 eggs per day. This way the spread can be rapid.