Self-treatment model criticised as fire ant attacks 'explode' in Queensland's suppression zone
By Jennifer Nichols
ABC Rural
Topic:Agriculture
22m ago22 minutes agoFri 21 Mar 2025 at 9:12pm
Nasty welts on a young man's back.
Kaleb Wilson was hospitalised after being attacked by fire ants. (Supplied: Ebony Britton)
In short:
Residents in the fire ant suppression zone are pleading for more support as numbers of nests and bites "explode" after Cyclone Alfred.
In the Queensland government's so-called inner suppression zone, landholders are responsible for controlling the pests themselves.
What's next?
Biosecurity Queensland advises anyone who spots fire ants to report them within 24 hours online or call 13 22 68.
Residents in Queensland's fire ant suppression zone are pleading for help, saying nest numbers and attacks on humans and livestock have exploded since ex-tropical cyclone Alfred swamped the state's south east.
Torrential rain forced the invasive insects above ground where they raised their ant hills and joined bodies to "raft" on floodwater to new locations.
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Since March 1 in South-East Queensland, the National Fire Ant Eradication Program received 60 reports of extreme reactions to fire ant stings requiring medical attention — 23 people required hospitalisation.
Logan builder Scott Rider's feet bear nasty sores after being repeatedly bitten at home at Cedar Grove.
"They're just everywhere, they're crawling over patios, they're coming into our homes, they get flicked up on the lawn mower, on the tractor," Mr Rider told ABC Rural.
"Watching them raft in that floodwater from the cyclone was amazing. I've never seen so many in my life."
A foot with nasty bites on it
Despite laying baits, Scott Rider is being constantly bitten by fire ants at Cedar Grove. (Supplied: Scott Rider)
About 30 kilometres away at Greenbank, Ebony Britton found her puppy dead on a fire ant nest.
Since 2023, her 20-year-old son Kaleb Wilson has had two anaphylactic shocks to bites that required emergency medical treatment — stress Ms Britton could have done without as she battles stage-three breast cancer.
"He couldn't breathe, his face swelled up completely and he just broke out in hives all over his body."
A large winding clump of red fire ants floating on floodwater
A thick mat of "rafting" fire ants spreading on floodwater. (Supplied: Logan City Council )
The nationally funded plan to eradicate fire ants by 2032 has succeeded in slowing the spread and is working inwards from the outskirts of South-East Queensland's biosecurity zone.
In October 2024, the Queensland government focused its efforts on the outer eradication zone.
For the inner suppression zone, it moved to a "self-treatment model", making landholders responsible for controlling the pests.
But Kirsty McKenna, who lives on a 16-hectare Scenic Rim property at Allenview said there had been "an explosion of nests in the suppression zone" and residents needed more support.
A woman stands next to a magnificent black horse with her dog at her feet.
Kirsty McKenna says farmers and landowners in the suppression zone are not getting enough support. (Supplied: Kirsty McKenna)
"The only assistance that residents in the [suppression] zone are getting is bait being sent out if they report fire ants. There is no team assistance and no support," Ms McKenna said.
She said before the cyclone, a fire ant inspection found two nests on her property, but 110 had been found since and she said she was "nowhere near" inspecting her entire property.
Ms McKenna, who provides horse agistment, estimates she has spent at least eight hours a week monitoring and treating fire ants as she takes part in a primary producers biosecurity project.
A woman in a field treating fire ants.
Kirsty McKenna estimates she spends eight hours a week monitoring and treating fire ants. (Supplied: Kirsty McKenna)
She said if horses rolled on nests, they developed weeping sores and abscesses from rubbing themselves raw against trees and fences.
The Fire Ant Scenic Rim Facebook page she co-founded had been flooded with concerns from residents in the suppression zone.
"I think the government really needs to step up and take this seriously,"
Ms McKenna said.
A nasty looking wound on a horse's face.
Jacqueline Slipais's horse developed an abscess after being bitten by fire ants (Supplied: Invasive Species Council)
The Fire Ant Suppression Taskforce said of the 1 million hectares in the South-East Queensland biosecurity zone, "650,000 hectares or approximately 600,000 Suncorp stadiums" was in the inner "suppression" zone.
Director Mick Jeffery explained that fire ant eradication teams used to service the suppression zone but that ended in October when the move was made to the community self-treatment model.
"They used to go out and treat people's fire ants or a small proportion of property if it was a big property," Mr Jeffery said.
"Those teams were needed to work on the eradication ring, so that's the 10-kilometre band that goes around from Caboolture, out through Gatton, and around the border of New South Wales."
Mr Jeffery said $14 million had been allocated to suppression zone activities this financial year.
A map showing the zones for fire ant treatment
Of the one million hectare fire ant biosecurity zone, 650,000 hectares is in the suppression zone. (Supplied: National Red Imported Fire Ant Education Program)
The Invasive Species Council said while the eradication effort was funded by all states, territories, and the federal government, only the Queensland government funded works in the suppression zone.
"What we've been warning about for a while is we don't think that there's enough support or funding in that suppression zone to keep fire ant numbers low and that's a problem for the whole country," advocacy manager Reece Pianta said.
"There's a risk of those fire ants getting into carry materials and being moved outside the fire ant infestation program to other parts of Australia," Mr Pianta said.
A man wearing a work uniform, standing out in nature.
Reece Pianta is a fire ant expert from the Invasive Species Council. (Supplied: Invasive Species Council)
Since ex-tropical cyclone Alfred hit, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development temporarily banned hay movements from Queensland's fire-ant-infested areas.
Last year it also banned turf movements from large parts of South-East Queensland over the border.
A pallet of turf freshly cut in a field.
The turf industry has been one of the hardest hit by fire ant restrictions. (Supplied: Turf Queensland)
Turf Queensland president Hugo Struss, who has been bitten multiple times, said it was "devastating for the industry".
"I think that everybody needs to experience [being bitten] to realise how serious this problem is going to be if it starts to get into childcare centres and sports fields and when it starts to inconvenience people on a daily basis," he said.
Biosecurity Queensland advised anyone who spots fire ants to report them within 24 hours online or call 13 22 68.
A woman wearing a hat and a checked shirt while standing on a farm.
Carolyn Davidson is still waiting for a reply to two calls to Biosecurity Queensland's hotline since the cyclone. (Supplied)
But at Towri Sheep Cheeses in the Scenic Rim, Carolyn Davidson said she had phoned twice since the cyclone and had not received any baits.
"I've reported twice since the last flooding and I haven't had an answer yet," Ms Davidson said.
"I think it's an absolute disaster waiting to happen."
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Posted22m ago22 minutes agoFri 21 Mar 2025 at 9:12pm
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