Yellow crazy ants eradicated from sites near Cairns

The yellow crazy ant, also known as the long-legged ant or Maldive ant, is a species of ant, thought to be native to West Africa or Asia and was accidentally introduced to Australia.

Yellow crazy spray formic acid to blind and kill their prey. And although they're tiny, they can swarm in great numbers, killing much larger animals like lizards, frogs, small mammals, turtle hatchlings and bird chicks and reshaping entire ecosystems.

The sites south of Cairns were identified in 2017 and 2018 and were the equivalent of almost 70 soccer fields and included sugarcane and hillside forest sites in Mount Peter and Wrights Creek.

Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek said eradicating the pest would help protect the tropical rainforests of North Queensland and its ecosystem.

"The Wet Tropics is a region of spectacular scenery and is one of the largest areas of rainforest wilderness in Australia," Ms Plibersek said.

"When yellow crazy ants spread, they can quickly outnumber native species and invade their habitat, killing and displacing native species and wreaking havoc for agriculture.

"There is still a lot of work to do, but it's important to stop and celebrate wins like this for the Authority and the community. It takes years of treatment efforts and community support to achieve eradication. Congratulations to all involved."

Wet Tropics Management Authority Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program Manager Lucy Karger said six sites had now been eradicated in the region.

"This is a big achievement for the team, our partners and for the landholders," Ms Karger said.

"It takes a lot of time, resources and cooperation from the community before we can confidently declare a site as yellow crazy ant-free. We are very grateful to the landholders for their support and thrilled to tick these two sites off our list.

"It's important the community continues to report any suspect ants as early detection is crucial to containing and treating possible new infestations before they become out of hand."

The sites have gone through long-term treatment and intensive surveys, including periodic surveillance by highly trained odour detection dogs, before being declared as eradicated.

Following the $24 million boost from the Federal and Queensland Labor Governments for the Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program, the Wet Tropics Management Authority has reached a significant turning point, with numerous other sites soon to be declared eradicated. 70 per cent of the overall infestation area is now under long-term monitoring rather than broadscale treatment.

Queensland Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Leanne Linard said eradication efforts included five treatments over two years to reduce ant numbers, followed by several years of surveys and spot treatments.

"This forms part of a 14-stage process used from detection to eradication. This helps track progress and guide decision-making specific to each individual site, before eradication can be declared," Ms Linard said.

"The Wet Tropics Management Authority has established strong partnerships and collaboration with numerous stakeholders and continues to receive considerable support from the local community, industry, local business, and Traditional Owners.

"These eradications continue to reinforce the benefits of working collaboratively with the community to bring about great outcomes in the fight to eradicate yellow crazy ants."