Fire ants are from South America and are native to the floodplains of the Paraguay River in Brazil, Paraguay and Northern Argentina. They entered the southern United States in the 1930s, probably in soil used as ship ballast, and have been spreading across the US ever since.

Fire ants would have been unknowingly imported into Brisbane, possibly up to 20 years ago. The pathway of entry into Brisbane is unknown, but was possibly in a shipping container from the United States. They were first detected in the Brisbane area in February 2001.

Genetic analysis shows there have been three different incursions of fire ants into Australia: two into Brisbane and one to Yarwun in Central Queensland. Fire ants have been successfully eradicated from Yarwun.

Genetic analysis reveals there have been three different incursions of fire ants into Australia. One was discovered in the south western suburbs of Brisbane. Another was found at the Port of Brisbane and a third found in Yarwun in Central Queensland. Both the Port of Brisbane and Yarwun incursions have been successfully eradicated.

Spread from the initial Brisbane infestation, lead to a number of small outlying infestations around the greater Brisbane area including Ipswich, Logan and Redlands. Isolated infestation has also been found in Scenic Rim, Gold Coast and Lockyer Valley. View a map of the fire ant restricted area.

Fire ants spread naturally through mating flights and budding:

• a mated female (queen) can fly up to 2 km
• a newly mated queen finds a suitable nesting site, sheds her wings and starts a new colony.

Human-assisted spread:

• via shipments of infested nursery stock, soil, or other restricted items
• potentially many other materials and containers stored in a fire ant infested area.

Fire ant nests can have a single queen or multiple queens. A new queen will lay up to 20 eggs initially. Eggs hatch in 7-10 days and become adults after 9-15 days. A queen can increase egg laying up to 800 eggs per day after initial hatching.

Key characteristics:

• Fire ant workers come in an unusual variety of sizes within one nest.
• Fire ant workers are small (ranging from 2-6 mm).
• Fire ants are copper-brown in colour, with a darker abdomen.
• Fire ants inflict a fiery sting and are usually aggressive.
• Fire ant nests usually have no obvious entry hole.
• The inside of a fire ant nest has a honeycomb structure.
• A mature nest is often dome-shaped if in an open area but can also be found under logs, rocks or garden materials.

To report suspicious ants or nests, contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 or complete a report form online.

Look around any areas of disturbed ground as well as:

• in pot plants on the ground
• in stores of topsoil, mulch and potting mixes
• under landscaping materials (e.g. logs, stones)
• under timber or pallets on the ground
• adjacent to buildings and other structures
• in untidy or overgrown areas
• near areas of permanent water (e.g. the banks of dams, rivers, ponds, aquaculture containers)
• tufts of grass in open areas, where the soil is built up around the tufts.

Stings from fire ants cause a painful, burning and itching sensation that can last for up to one hour. Apply a cold compress (or ice) as soon as possible to the affected areas to reduce swelling and relieve pain. After a few hours (or even a day or two), a small blister can form at the site of each sting. To prevent secondary infection, wash the blisters gently with soap and water and be careful not to break the blisters.

In rare cases, fire ant stings can be lethal to people. If a severe allergic reaction occurs, please seek immediate medical attention.

Fire ants are a serious pest that threatens our lifestyle, environment and agriculture. See Fire ant impacts.

Biosecurity Queensland is using a low-toxic bait treatment, which consists of coarsely-ground corn soaked in soybean oil and an insect growth regulator (IGR), either S-methoprene or pyriproxyfen. S-methoprene is widely used in mosquito control programs in the Brisbane region. Pyriproxyfen is commonly used as an IGR in dog/cat flea collars.

The bait is applied by broadcasting it over an area using about a teaspoon per square metre. Worker ants take bait granules back to the nest, where they are passed among other ants and fed to the queen. These baits do not kill the ants but sterilise the queen and stop the larvae from developing. The worker ants are not replaced and the colony dies out.

There are three main methods of distributing the bait, including:

• by foot, with a hand held spreader
• by all terrain vehicle (ATV) or quad bike
• by air, using a helicopter.

The method of bait distribution varies depending on the size of each property and accessibility. Officers use hand-held spreaders on residential blocks and ATVs are used on properties larger than 5000 m². Properties larger than 5 ha are targeted for aerial treatment.

The bait treatment has very low toxicity to humans and animals. The bait is scattered thinly and any not taken to the nest following treatment will quickly break down by the next day.

The aim of the current program is eradication. Biological control of any pest will only decrease its numbers, and is therefore not part of an eradication program.

The US is using biological control agents from the fire ant's native habitats. One of these is the parasitic phorid fly. Although this fly controls only about 3% of the fire ant populations in South America, its presence frightens foraging ants and interferes with their ability to gather food. Phorid flies could be a useful addition to chemical control in heavily infested parts of the US, where even small differences are worthwhile.

Fire ant nests in Australia are destroyed when found, so phorid flies could not survive here.

Don't do it! 

Boiling water will kill some ants but rarely the whole nest. Remaining ants will just move to a new location. The risk of scalds or burns to people makes attempting this method of control dangerous.

Petrochemicals like petrol, diesel or kerosene are dangerous to handle and will kill any plant material they touch. Some of the residue remains in the soil and may leach or run off into ground and/or surface water to pollute the environment. The risk of injuries from fire and explosions makes attempting this method of control dangerous.

Yes. The fire ant infestation discovered at Yarwun, in central Queensland, has been eradicated following a successful treatment and pest freedom verification program carried out by Biosecurity Queensland. No fire ants from the north Brisbane population have been found since 2005.

Fire ant eradication is a constant battle, but scientific modelling demonstrates that with committed effort, eradication can be achieved. The eradication program has some new weapons in the war on fire ants with remote sensing, odour detection dogs and micro-satellite genetics all helping find the ants.

But the most important factor in the campaign has not changed, and that is members of the public making their contribution by reporting suspect ants and following movement controls.

A restricted area has been established and movement controls are in place to prevent the spread of fire ants in South East Queensland. The Plant Protection Act 1989 and the Plant Protection Regulation 2002 place obligations on people to reduce the risk of spreading fire ants. This includes controls on the movement of restricted items that could carry fire ants

The restricted area has been divided into two areas which have different levels of movement controls:

• a high risk restricted area (red zone)
• a low risk restricted area (orange zone).

View the restricted area map or suburb list to check which locations are within the restricted area for fire ants. Alternatively, contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.

Controls apply to the movement of restricted items within and out of the Fire Ant Restricted Area. Restricted items include:

• soil (includes fill, clay, overburden, scrapings, topsoil, decomposed granite (deco), potting media and any other material from the ground)
• mulch
• manure
• bark
• baled hay
• pot plants
• potting media
• turf
• sleepers/logs
• gravels
• poultry litter.

For further information please visit our movement controls page or call 13 25 23.

Moving soil outside of the restricted area remains the greatest risk of spreading fire ants. Any soil, including turf, will require an inspector's approval before moving outside the restricted area.

To request aninspector's approval, complete the inspector's approval request form online or call Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.

It is everyone's responsibility to stop the spread of fire ants, which threaten our lifestyle, economy and environment. Controls apply to everyone - individuals and commercial organisations.

If you have a business that trades in, handles, or moves restricted items in the restricted area, you must be aware of your legal obligations. This includes understanding the risks of spreading fire ants and developing strategies to address these risks. These strategies must be included in a fire ant Risk Management Plan which is then approved by a Biosecurity Queensland inspector. You must then follow your ARMP to prevent the spread of fire ants. Refer to movement controls for commercial operators.

Residents who live in the high risk area have a number of options available when moving restricted items of your property. There are no requirements for residents, who live in the low risk area, however it is important that you remain vigilant and report any suspect ants to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23. Refer to movement controls for residents.

Yes! They could spread to your area. The eradication program has a comprehensive plan to find, contain and destroy the ants but fire ants are not an easy pest to get rid of. Your best protection is your own vigilance - look for signs of fire ants in your neighbourhood and report suspect ants to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 or by using the online report form.

There are many ways in which we can all help prevent the further spread of fire ants and achieve eradication, by:

• understanding what fire ants look like and what they might be moved in
• being aware if you are living or working in the fire ant restricted area
• implementing an Approved Risk Management Plan if you are a commercial enterprise that operates within the fire ant restricted area and trades in or moves restricted items
• not moving soil out of the restricted area without an inspector's approval
• being aware that it is an offence to move a live fire ant anywhere in Queensland
• reporting suspect fire ants to 13 25 23 or completing the online report form
• phoning 13 25 23 if you are unsure of your obligations, to check before you move materials.

Further information

• Overview of fire ants
• Image gallery
• Biology and ecology of fire ants
• Impacts of fire ants
• More information about fire ants
• Report a fire ant sighting