The Queensland State Government says the eradication of a fire ant infestation is a world first.
The Primary Industries Minister says Biosecurity Queensland has been trying to get rid of the pest since it was discovered at Yarwun, west of Gladstone, in 2006.
He says restrictions on the movement of soil and other materials from the area have now been lifted and that the Gladstone community was integral in the success of the painstaking process.
"Our fire ant team went in and eradicated the mounds that were found in the Yarwun area and have since carried out surveillance," he said.
"We're now at what we call 'proof of freedom', which gives us international clearance that we've eradicated fire ants from the Gladstone area, so this is a world first.
"Prior to the 'proof of freedom' there were movement restrictions on soil and plants and now that can be lifted ... the quick detection and the treatment and surveillance over a number of years has now paid a dividend."
Tags: Ants & Humans
About Us
AntBlog is a budding community of ant enthusiasts. We study ants and track ants in the news.... more
Featured
Latest updates
Do ants bleed? Ant circulatory system
Ant blood is a colourless liquid. It is circulated through the body by the contraction...
Formicarium
A formicarium is a purposefuly designed enclosure used to contain and study ants. The...
Eusociality
The term eusocial was introduced in 1966 by Entomologist Suzanne Batra and subsequentl...
About us
We're a community of ant enthusiasts who've been online since August 2008. Richard is ...
Keeping ants in captivity
Keeping and studying ants can be a rewarding experience. Wether you're interested in b...