Latest news with #fireants
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Texans shaken as thousands of fire ants seen forming rafts on river using their bodies
This army is in formation. Thousands of fire ants have been spotted floating on floodwaters through the Texas city and forming rafts using their bodies with residents now reporting the gross behavior. KXAN Austin took to X to post a video taken by Austinite David Todd of the little critters, seen nestled into a large cluster in the waters of Lake Travis. X users weighed in on the scary sight. 'A floating ball of pure hate,' one observed. 'I've done more than seen them. I've run into them at night wading out to the ramp on my dock when the lake is rapidly rising,' another wrote. 'Sucks.' 'Bring out the torch,' someone else suggested. The pesky bugs, which can cause painful stings, are rife in Texas. But when their underground nests flood, they sink their teeth into each other, interlock their limbs and create rafts to stay alive. 'It's called a self-organizing or self-assembling process. And it's something only social insects do,' Ed LeBrun, a research scientist at the University of Texas' Brackenridge Field Lab, told the outlet. 'There are a lot of other structures that ants make in a similar way. For example, army ants will make bridges across rivers.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Warning over 'intractable problem' as Australia's fire ant fight faces critical moment
A biological researcher in the United States has warned Australia is at a critical crossroads in its fight to tackle the spread — and hopefully eradicate — the hugely destructive fire ant species. Native to South America, they have well and truly spread north, invading more than a dozen US states and costing the country's economy billions of dollars a year. They've caused havoc on golf courses, private properties and even led to reported deaths in Florida and Texas from severe allergic reactions. A report in USA Today last month even detailed how two species of the invasive ant are crossbreeding, creating an even nastier and hardier bug. It's a bleak picture Australia is desperately hoping to avoid. Mark Hoddle, an entomologist and biological control specialist, has spent years studying fire ants at the University of California. He warns Australia must urgently act to stop them from becoming a permanent fixture of the landscape. "Some entomologists have referred to this perpetual insecticidal war and management plan against fire ants in the US as the Vietnam of entomology. It just seems like an intractable problem," he told ABC radio on Friday. At least in the United States, where they have been for about a century, the prospect of eradication is probably futile, he warned. "It will probably never be winnable with the technology we are currently using," he said. Related: Five colonies of yellow crazy ants detected in Queensland holiday spot According to experts in Australia at the Invasive Species Council (ISC) and the National Fire Ant Eradication Program, if left unchecked the so-called super pest could make itself at home across 97 per cent of the continent, given our climate's suitability to the species. Ultimately, they could do more damage than cane toads, camels, foxes and feral pigs combined. After recent discoveries of fire ants in Queensland, including on one Scenic Rim property where they were found "chewing" on a lawn mower, authorities are urging residents to be vigilant and take precautions. "Fire ants are great stowaways, and they love to get into organic material in particular," Reece Pianta from the ISC told Yahoo News this week. "Empty out the catcher of your mower," he urged. "Don't leave the clippings in there, and clean it down. It's also good advice to clean things that are being moved from place to place." Agricultural minister spruiks nation's biosecurity efforts The federal government is set to contribute some $296 million over the next four years to help fight the fire ant invader, with more money tipped in by the states. Julie Collins, the federal Minister for Agriculture, on Friday hit back at her Coalition counterpart who on Thursday said the federal government wasn't doing enough to stop the spread. "What I would say is that Australia has been quite successful in terms of trying to contain the red imported fire ants compared to how other countries are dealing with it. We have managed to contain the spread of it compared to other countries," he said. In particular, she highlighted the federal government's collaboration with the states as well as efforts to engage the community to raise awareness about the threat, saying biosecurity "is everyone's responsibility". "Part of the program has been the public awareness campaign and making sure that people understand what they are," she said. The federal government is coming under increased pressure to make public the National Fire Ant response plan for 2023 to 2027, which is currently a 'cabinet in confidence' document. The minister would not be drawn on whether it would be made public. "What I'd say is the significant new funding that we have provided to date has allowed the program to expand its reach," she said. "It's put on 350 new workers. There's a new depot, there's new vehicles, new aerial eradication contracts. There's baiting going on. It's doubled the size of the treatment and surveillance area in terms of the existing outbreaks in Australia. We are taking this incredibly seriously."
ABC News
3 days ago
- Science
- ABC News
Fears Australia will lose its war on fire ants, suffering the same fate as the US
They swarm, they sting, they're invasive, and they could be in your backyard soon. Fire ants — named for their painful, burning sting — have relentlessly marched across south-east Queensland, steadily spreading north, south and west. But in the United States, the imported "super pest" is more than an emerging nuisance. It's a daily hazard, according to Mark Hoddle from the University of California's Applied Biological Control Research Centre. "If the kids are out in the yard and they tread on one of these nests, the ants just boil out of it," Professor Hoddle said. As Australia battles to protect its beloved outdoor lifestyle, America's experience demonstrates the cost of losing this war. The National Fire Ant Eradication Program received at least 463 reports of critical fire ant stings this year. In four cases an ambulance was called, and 20 cases required hospitalisation. In the US, it's estimated more than 14 million people are stung each year. Professor Hoddle has studied fire ants and how to kill them for three decades. The insects gained a foothold in the US in the 1930s, after being imported among cargo from South America. What followed was a insecticidal war, described by Professor Hoddle as "the Vietnam of entomology". "It just seems like an intractable problem." Fire ants now infest more than 150 million hectares across 15 southern US states — an area larger than the Northern Territory. In Australia, a similar pattern is unfolding, including rising opposition to the chemical treatments that experts say are vital to getting the pest under control. On Queensland's Scenic Rim, Kirsty McKenna has seen the number of fire ant nests at her property spread from one, to thousands. Ms McKenna runs a fire ant Facebook group, with posts venting frustration over what many see as a broken system. "People are disheartened — we feel like we're on our own battling this issue," she said. "People are saying they're no longer bothering to report, which worries me." Fire ant queens can fly up to 5 kilometres and lay about 2,000 eggs a day. When a nest is disturbed, a pheromone is released, causing the ants to swarm and sting repeatedly. Virginia Tech assistant professor of entomology Scotty Yang has studied fire ants in China, Taiwan, Australia and the US. Repeated multiple stings can cause severe allergic reactions, which can be fatal for those with underlying conditions. "You're going to have pustules develop on your skin, it's going to be super itchy," Dr Yang said. "You scratch them, you break the pustule and there's a likelihood you're going to get the secondary infections." A 2024 study published in the journal Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease found about a quarter of people stung developed an allergic reaction. Dr Yang said humans were largely responsible for spreading fire ants beyond their natural barriers. Early eradication attempts in the US drenched nests with pesticides like calcium cyanide, a toxic chemical that is now rarely used. It killed the worker ants, but Dr Yang said it left the queen unharmed deep underground to rebuild the nest. Colonies also hitched rides on the backs of trucks, planes and boats transporting materials like soil, hay and turf. Fire ants were first detected in Brisbane in 2001 but have surged across south-east Queensland in recent years. They now infest around 850,000 hectares and have spread south of the border into the Tweed, Ballina and Byron Shires. This month, fire ants were located at a coal mine near Mackay, central Queensland, and in a freight container at Perth. Under a $592 million program, an eradication zone stretches around south-east Queensland, where the National Fire Ant Eradication Program directly exterminates fire ant nests. But within that area is the suppression zone, where landholders are required to manage nests themselves. The goal is to treat the outer infested area and push inward, squeezing progressively towards the coast, wiping out ant populations as they go. But the strategy has been criticised by residents, who fear populations in the suppression zone can spread unchecked, undermining the entire program. Inside the suppression zone, turf farmer John Keleher has spent $1.5 million over the past two years managing fire ants on his property near Beaudesert. "It's two to three hours of my day every day just complying with the necessary paperwork and treatment regime," he said. Agricultural businesses like his must monitor their land regularly, apply bait or treatments on schedule, and submit detailed records for inspection. But those rules do not apply to Mr Keleher's neighbours who live on rural residential blocks. Instead, rural residents fall under a system that relies on self-reporting. Mr Keleher fears it allows fire ant nests to go unnoticed and untreated. "I'm directly looking into a neighbour's property and the pest population of ants there is endemic," he said. National Fire Ant Eradication Program general manager of operations Marni Manning said the density of fire ants had increased beyond what the community accepted. She said efforts inside the suppression zone were being expanded, including aerial baiting. "The more we weaken the population in the suppression area, the better eradication effectiveness will be," she said. Although landholders are legally required to allow biosecurity officers onto their properties, there has been resistance, which Ms Manning believes is fed in part by misinformation. Crews have required police escorts to access some properties, and Southern Cross University recently came under fire for funding research by an anti-bait conspiracy theorist. Professor Hoddle said similar dynamics derailed eradication efforts in the US. "When there is not sufficient collective action for the public good, the programs collapse," he said. Ms Manning said even if some landholders did not take action, eradication could still be achieved if the majority complied. "We are trying really hard to explain to the community what the reality is if we don't eradicate," she said. The National Fire Ant Eradication Program uses corn grit baits soaked in soybean oil that contain pyriproxyfen or methoprene, both insect growth regulators approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. The chemicals prevent fire ant queens from producing mature worker ants, killing a colony over a couple of months. Part of the program involves dropping baits from helicopters, prompting concerns from residents about the environmental impact. But Invasive Species Council advocacy manager Reece Pianta said it was among the most environmentally friendly approaches over a large area. "Native ants will forage this product and take it away, but the product is designed so the oil component of it is far more attractive to fire ants," he said. A baiting program is underway to control fire ants spreading through the Northern Rivers region of NSW. Ms Manning said the baiting program was critical to containing the pest. But the clock is ticking for the rest of Australia. Beyond the medical, environmental and economic cost of fire ants is the risk to outdoor lifestyles. Outdoor events, camping trips, days at the beach and backyard barbecues all become complicated when you have to be on alert for aggressive, stinging ants. Professor Hoddle said Australia had a narrow window to stop fire ants, but it could already be too late. "With a lot of these programs it often reaches a critical area of infestation where containment may or may not be possible," he said. But Professor Yang said eradication could be achieved if governments, landholders and everyday Australians acted fast. "It's a big shock to me — I thought Australia had a really good chance to eradicate." Ms Manning said the program was committed to the fight, with Queensland spending an additional $24 million over two years to bolster suppression. "These super pests stand to inhabit at least 97 per cent of this country," she said. "They're projected to cause more damage than cane toads, camels, foxes and feral pigs — all combined. "We're not giving up on eradication."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A massive raft of fire ants found on Lake Travis
AUSTIN (KXAN) — It might sound unbelievable, but viewers are sending in videos of fire ants floating on floodwaters, forming living rafts out of their own bodies. On Wednesday morning, a man shared video of one such raft drifting on Lake Travis. When their underground nests flood, fire ants link their legs and jaws together to create buoyant, self-assembled mounds. These floating colonies can contain thousands of ants — and they can still bite or sting if disturbed. These fire ant colonies can contain thousands of worker ants, and can still bite or sting those who interfere with the floating colony. Fire ants are widespread in Texas, and researchers at Texas A&M University are studying how they respond to flooding. The insects bite one another and interlock their limbs, forming tightly packed rafts that don't sink. Their waxy skin helps repel water and keep the group afloat. 'It's called a self-organizing or self-assembling process. And it's something only social insects do,' LeBrun said. A research scientist at the University of Texas' Brackenridge Field Lab in central Austin, LeBrun has researched ants for three decades. 'There are a lot of other structures that ants make in a similar way. For example, army ants will make bridges across rivers,' LeBrun said, but still, this raft is rare. Fire ants he believes are the only ants that do this. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Watch: Invasive super pest found 'chewing' through backyard lawn mower
Australians are being warned their lawnmowers and other garden equipment could be harbouring invasive pests as the threat of fire ants continues to sweep through parts of the country, prompting calls for the federal government to spend more to tackle the spread. The ants pose a catastrophic risk to the environment, and the 'super pests' happily find refuge in gardening devices covered in organic material. This means a long list of tools, such as lawn mowers, whipper snippers, and other outdoor appliances can potentially host a new colony. This was the case last week for a resident in Queensland's Scenic Rim region, when their mower was discovered to be crawling with fire ants. Authorities have since urged residents to be vigilant of the risk, warning them to do their bit to avoid the spread of the invasive critter. "Fire ants are great stowaways, and they love to get into organic material in particular... So, grass clippings are an excellent place for fire ants to make a home and then potentially be transported to other locations," Reece Pianta from the Invasive Species Council (ISC) told Yahoo News on Wednesday. Fire ants 'eat almost anything' including electrical wires Fire ants are notorious eaters, and not only do they have the ability to spread rapidly, but they also make the most of food sources once they are established at new sites. "They will have a go to eat almost anything, and that includes coatings on electrical wires, joints, rubber connectors," Pianta explained. "Any mechanical or electrical device, particularly if it's used outside in a garden context, and this extends to motor vehicles as well." 🌱 Crews caught with illegal garden items fined $60,000 amid 'serious' crackdown 🐟 Dad's fight against invasive threat spreading 'everywhere' in our waterways 🐜 Fury as fire ants hit major coalmine Reece is urging all who live in and around the fire ant areas to conduct regular inspections of their garden appliances, as well as their car wheels, to detect any fire ants. Ensuring no organic clippings are left inside devices will help minimise the spread. "Empty out the catcher of your mower," he urged. "Don't leave the clippings in there, and clean it down. It's also good advice to clean things that are being moved from place to place." This advice was echoed by the National Fire Ant Eradication Program, which urged residents to empty grass clippings from their garden appliances, clean them afterwards and frequently check their property for any fire ant sightings. Fire ant 'explosion' will hinder backyard enjoyment, says shadow agricultural minister David Littleproud, the Leader of the Nationals and Shadow Minister for Agriculture, warned on Thursday the fire ant situation has sadly been allowed to get out of hand. "This is something that I think every Australian should be worried about," he told ABC Radio National, arguing it will prevent homeowners and residents from enjoying their backyards. "These things will render your backyard useless. You won't be able to go out into it until you've treated it," he said. "We actually, tragically had this contained to a very tight geographical area in southeast Queensland" he lamented, but Littleproud argued decisions by the previous state government around housing developments and the movement of dirt allowed the species to spread. "They allowed dirt to be moved from one part of southeast Queensland to the other, and it just exploded," he said. Littleproud is now calling on a federal government commitment of $200 million a year for the next four years to try to eradicate the fire ant populations. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
