An Aussie mum was walking around her suburban neighbourhood in Queensland, when she noticed a pack of fire ant detection dogs sniffing around a vacant bloc.
The woman in question, Tamara McIntosh, grew concerned about the dangers of fire ants and how they could affect her family.
“In terms of safety for the kids, I would have no idea what to do if they got bitten,” Miss McIntosh told The Sunshine Coast Daily.
When attacking, fire ants first use their mandibles to grip their prey and then inject poison through their stinger.
Fire ant stings are painful for most humans and fatal to some: if a victim experiences a severe reaction such as sweating, nausea or excessive itching, emergency medical services should be contacted immediately.
Their sting, which includes alkaloid venom, is highly irritating to humans and results in red bumps and white pustules, which can ultimately lead to scarring.
They are reddish, about 1.6 to 5 mm in length, and are found in warm, sunny climates, usually in dry fields
"They need to tell us if they are in this area, not keep it hush hush.” Tamara said.
While fire ants aren’t commonly found in the UK, with so many members of the British community living in Queensland, especially in the city of Brisbane, it’s worth sharing this important safety message.
No quarantine has taken placed on the affected property or surrounding area. It is unknown at this stage how the fire ant nests arrived in Queensland
“The fire ant nest was destroyed on-site by direct nest injection with insecticide, and baited the area around the nest with an insect growth regulator to ensure that all ants in the colony are destroyed,” a Biosecurity officer in the area confirmed..
However, there are ongoing investigations to find out the possible source of the infestation and the community are raising awareness of the infected area.
"As fire ants have not been previously found on the Sunshine Coast, it is critical that the community help us to check every nook and cranny for fire ants and report any suspect sightings to Biosecurity Queensland,” the director of Biosecurity told The Courier Mail.
The Biosecurity will be undergoing surveillance activities in the area to determine if there are any more nests.
