Fire ant nests have been discovered in a third suburb on the Sunshine Coast.
Teams from the National Fire Ant Eradication Program are returning to the region today, after a new detection in Currimundi.
A member of the public reported several nests at a recreation precinct on Friday, July 12, with initial surveillance and treatment conducted that same day.
The program’s eradication officers found three nests and the ants were confirmed as fire ants on Monday morning.
Samples of the ants found have been taken and compliance and tracing activities are underway to determine how the ants arrived in the area.
Eradication activities, including intensive treatment and surveillance will occur up to 5km out from the detection site to protect the area and ensure no undetected fire ants remain.
It follows the revelation that 13 other nests had been found in the region, at Nirimba and Banya, since the invasive insects first broke containment lines and arrived on the Sunshine Coast a month ago.
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The NFAEP issued a media release on Monday, encouraging residents and business owners at Currimundi to check their properties and local area for suspect nests or ants immediately, and report them at fireants.org.au or by calling 13 25 23.
Fire ants are copper brown in colour and have a darker abdomen. They measure 2mm to 6 mm in length with a variety of sizes found in each nest.
Fire ant nests appear as mounds or patches of loose soil and have no clear entry or exit holes The nests become more visible in colder months and after rain. This is because the ants tend to build their nests higher to regulate the nest temperature in cooler weather.
Fire ants are attracted to disturbed materials such as soil, hay and landscaping products and can be transported through the human-assisted movement of organic materials. This is the biggest risk to their spread.
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