Crazy acid-spewing ants are spreading across Australia as the council launches a massive attack on devastating invasive insects that could trigger an “economic and ecological catastrophe”.
- Yellow mad ants could pose a serious threat to native Australian wildlife
- They do not bite, instead spraying formic acid to blind and kill their prey
- They swarm out in large numbers, killing much larger animals such as lizards
A dangerous species of ant, native to West Africa and Asia, is on the rise in Australia and is said to be at “high risk” of spreading across the country and possibly causing an “economic catastrophe”.
Yellow mad ants, which pose a serious threat to local wildlife, have been found on the Gold Coast for the first time, according to a city council memo.
The ants don’t bite, instead they spray acid to blind and kill their prey, according to the Invasive Species Council (ISC).
“Although tiny, they can swarm out in large numbers and kill much larger animals such as lizards, frogs, small mammals, turtle hatchlings and baby birds, and reshape entire ecosystems,” the ISC said.
If left unchecked, they could threaten Queensland with economic and environmental disaster and jeopardize the state’s sugarcane and tourism industries, the council added.
Yellow mad ants (pictured), which pose a serious threat to local wildlife, have been found on the Gold Coast for the first time
Yellow Mad Ants have been found on private property in Yatala on the Gold Coast. Pictured is Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast
The ants were found on private property in Yatala, 30 minutes south of Brisbane’s CBD, and there are major fears they could spread further before they are stopped.
In a memo seen by News Corp, the Gold Coast City Council warned, “This is the only known infestation in the city and the location poses a high risk of nationwide (spreading)”.
“This invasive ant poses a significant risk to the city,” the council added.
The council is taking the lead in a plan to eliminate the risk of yellow mad ants for the community by having access to a type of bait unavailable to pest control companies or landowners.
Hermann Vorster, the chair of the council’s Lifestyle and Community Committee, said the mad ants’ arrival followed widespread infestations of red fire ants, which are already a significant cost to taxpayers and the environment.
“It’s a small blessing that we only know about the one incident so far and are reasonably confident that we can eradicate it, but that doesn’t mean we’re certain,” Mr. Vorster said.
Red fire ants and yellow mad ants have both been found on the north Gold Coast, south of Brisbane.
Queensland’s sugarcane industry could be at risk from the invasive yellow madman ant species. Pictured is a sugar cane farm in Queensland
Yellow mad ants are on the list of the 100 worst invasive species in the world.
“They are an extremely aggressive species and have found their way into Australia through our ports,” the ISC said.
They first arrived on Christmas Island just before 1934 and have since been recorded in Queensland, the Northern Territory and NSW.
The ants are threatening areas like Queensland’s Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, the world’s oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforest.
In the Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (map shown), yellow mad ants killed and deformed large numbers of chicks in seabird colonies by spraying them with acid
Overseas, in places like the Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, yellow mad ants have been killing and deforming large numbers of chicks in seabird colonies by constantly spraying them with acid.
If left unchecked, yellow crazed ants could threaten Queensland with economic and environmental disaster, and jeopardize the state’s sugar cane and tourism industries.
WHAT ARE YELLOW CRAZY ANTS?
Yellow mad ants are on the list of the 100 worst invasive species in the world.
They are a very aggressive species and have found their way to Australia via our ports.
They first arrived on Christmas Island around 1934 but have since been found in Queensland, the Northern Territory and NSW.
They now threaten areas like Queensland’s Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, the oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforests on earth.
Pictured is a nest of yellow mad ants
Yellow crazy ants don’t bite. Instead, they spray formic acid to blind and kill their prey.
Although tiny, they can swarm out in large numbers and kill much larger animals such as lizards, frogs, small mammals, turtle hatchlings and baby birds, and transform entire ecosystems.
Numbers and effects of yellow mad ants vary depending on local environmental conditions. The wet tropics of northern Queensland just so happen to be their ideal habitat.
If left unchecked, they could threaten Queensland with an economic and environmental disaster, endangering the state’s sugar cane and tourism industries, and wreaking havoc on local communities.
Source: invasives.org.au
