Australia’s federal parliament is examining the threat from invasive fire ants, which can kill people and livestock and may pose a greater danger to Australia than rabbits, cane toads, foxes, camels, dingoes and feral cats combined.
Lawmakers held a public meeting in Canberra on Monday to discuss the invasive insect, which is native to South America and is believed to have entered Australia via shipping containers.
They were first spotted in Brisbane in 2001 but may not have been seen in the country for many years.
They attack in groups. Experts say they pose a threat to humans, pets, livestock and wildlife. The ants lock their jaws onto their victim’s skin and inject venom through spikes on their abdomens. Their bites produce a burning sensation, which gives the ants their terrifying name.
Parliamentary inquiries by Canberra’s Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Reference Committee are looking into their impact on health, agriculture and the environment.
There is disagreement about the impact of efforts to destroy ant colonies.
The Queensland government says its eradication program is “world-class”.
Critics, however, insist Australia has mishandled the threat. The Invasive Species Council, an environmental NGO, insists Australian authorities have “underestimated fire ants for 20 years and our response to them has been underfunded”.
Pam Swepson, former community liaison and policy officer for the National Fire Ant Eradication Programme, told the ABC the ants can be extremely aggressive.
“They are one of the worst invasive species in the world,” she said. “They can walk, they can fly, they can swim. They have never been eradicated from any country they have invaded. If a child falls on a nest that looks like a pile of dirt, the ants will swarm around and sting them repeatedly, If the person happens to be allergic to their sting, they may have an allergic reaction and die.”
Monday’s federal hearing in Canberra included submissions from the National Farmers’ Union, government scientists and representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Two previous hearings have been held in eastern Australia.
Lawmakers will report their findings by April 18.
Australia has had a disastrous experience with some imported plants and animals.
The National Fire Ant Eradication Program warns that “fire ants have the potential to exceed the annual damage caused by our worst pests (feral cats, feral dogs, foxes, camels, rabbits and cane toads) combined.”
Invasions of fish and weeds have also caused huge environmental damage.
Experts say that fire ants are expanding their territory at a rate of about 50-80 kilometers per year in China and the United States.
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