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Electric ants in Queensland
The search is on for electric ants—register for a free yard check or report suspect electric ants today and help eradicate electric ants from Far North Queensland.
Don't accidentally spread electric ants—use our interactive map to check the location of the electric ant restricted zone, and the movement controls that apply.
Electric ants are a serious invasive pest that have the potential to impact our outdoor lifestyle, unique environment and profitable tourism and agriculture industries. They can inflict a painful, long-lasting, venomous sting. The reaction from their sting can range from moderate to severe pain and, in rare cases, may cause a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
For these reasons, electric ants are category 1 restricted matter under the Biosecurity Act 2014. Under the Act, all Queenslanders have a general biosecurity obligation to manage biosecurity risks and threats that are under their control, they know about or they are expected to know about.
The National Electric Ant Eradication Program has made significant progress in eradicating electric ants from Australia. Surveillance is ongoing, and treatment and containment measures are continuing in areas of Far North Queensland where the ants have been detected.
Keep up to date on the latest news and progress from the program by subscribing to our e-newsletter.
Contact our Customer Service Centre for additional information or questions regarding the program.
This guide will help you identify and effectively respond to electric ants.
Identifying and reporting electric ants
The search is on for electric ants—register for a free yard check or report suspect electric ants today and help eradicate electric ants from Far North Queensland.
Don't accidentally spread electric ants—use our interactive map to check the location of the electric ant restricted zone, and the movement controls that apply.
Electric ants are category 1 restricted matter under the Biosecurity Act 2014, and all Queenslanders have a general biosecurity obligation to manage biosecurity risks and threats that are under their control, they know about or they are expected to know about.
Electric ants live in soil and most materials that touch soil, including plant and inorganic materials. Moving these materials poses a serious risk of spreading electric ants.
Identifying electric ants
Electric ants:
- are tiny—about 1.5mm long
- are a golden brown colour
- are usually slow-moving
- are social and are often found in groups
- establish colonies anywhere and have been found under stones, in potted plants, in garden waste, mulch, leaf litter, soil, trees, around swimming pools and water courses, and may be in wall cavities, clothing, bedding, garden furniture or camping gear
- can be found in wet or dry conditions
- can survive in water and may sting you in your swimming pool.
It's vital that you are able to identify electric ants on your property. For more help with identification:
- view the electric ant photo gallery
- watch a video about the impacts of electric ants
Reporting electric ants
Community participation is vital to the successful control of electric ants. Although they are not easy to identify because of their small size, search your yard, business premises and community spaces and report any suspect ants.
If you have reported before and had a negative result, don't hesitate to contact us again as electric ants are easily transportable and may have been brought to your property, or an adjoining property, since we last visited.
If you are stung and experience a reaction, seek medical advice first. You should also report the incident to us, mentioning that you have been stung.
To report suspect ants:
- complete the online form to report suspect ants or request a free yard check
- phone the Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23
- email electricantinfo@daf.qld.gov.au.
Movement controls for electric ants in Queensland
The search is on for electric ants—register for a free yard check or report suspect electric ants today and help eradicate electric ants from Far North Queensland.
Don't accidentally spread electric ants—use our interactive map to check the location of the electric ant restricted zone, and the movement controls that apply.
To prevent the spread of electric ants, the Queensland Government has implemented movement controls in areas affected by this pest species. These controls apply to individuals and commercial operators, and restrict the movement of materials that could carry electric ants.
The Biosecurity Act 2014 and the Biosecurity Regulation 2016 place obligations on people to reduce the risk of spreading electric ants. If you live in Cairns or the surrounding regions, and your activities involve the movement of material that may harbour electric ants you have a general biosecurity obligation to take all reasonable steps to ensure that you do not spread electric ants.
Electric ant biosecurity zone
The electric ant biosecurity zone (PDF, 591KB) is in place in Far North Queensland in 5 council areas:
- Cairns Regional
- Cassowary Coast Regional
- Tablelands Regional
- Mareeba Shire
- Douglas Shire.
Movement controls in place within the biosecurity zone are designed to prevent electric ants from spreading and are essential to the eradication effort.
The biosecurity zone has 2 levels of restrictions, depending on the level of risk. These are the:
- restricted zone
- lesser restrictions area.
These areas have been established through a Notice of establishment of a lesser restrictions area within the electric ant biosecurity zone.
Property checker
Don't take the risk of accidentally spreading electric ants. Use our interactive map to check what movement restrictions are on a property.
Restricted zone
Restrictions apply on the movement of electric ant carriers from your property within this area.
Lesser restrictions area
Your general biosecurity obligation applies in the lesser restrictions area, and you must take all reasonable steps to not spread electric ants by:
- knowing what movement controls apply on a property
- knowing what electric ant carriers are, and how to deal with them to reduce your biosecurity risk
- knowing what an electric ant looks like
- reporting suspect ants.
Electric ant carriers
There are restrictions on the movement of materials (electric ant carriers) that can carry electric ants within the electric ant biosecurity zone. Electric ant carriers include, but are not limited to:
- potted plants
- cuttings from plants
- garden waste
- garden mulch
- fruit from plants
- a thing that has come into contact with the ground (e.g. bee hives, pot plants, garden furniture)
- turf
- soil
- baled hay or straw
- composted materials
- animal manures
- material that is a product or by-product of mining or quarrying.
Managing electric ant carriers
When moving electric ant carriers from a property within the restricted zone, residents and businesses must comply with relevant movement controls.
You must hold a biosecurity instrument permit, which allows you to move an electric ant carrier:
- between properties within the restricted zone
- and
- from a property within the restricted zone to a property outside of the restricted zone.
Complete the request a biosecurity instrument permit form or phone Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.
To prevent the inadvertent spread of electric ants, is it best practice to clean down machinery, slashers, and other equipment before leaving a site within the restricted zone. Completely remove soil and other electric ant carriers from your equipment by:
- physically removing the material (e.g. scraping or blowing)
- brushing down
- washing down or steam cleaning
- air blasting with an air compressor.
A permit is not required if an electric ant carrier is moved to a waste facility that accepts electric ant carriers, listed in the following table.
Note: Not all facilities accept all electric ant carriers. Check with the facility prior to moving a carrier.
Waste facility name | Address |
---|---|
Babinda Transfer Station |
Lot 1 Kruckow Road BABINDA Ph: 1300 69 2247 |
Bells Creek Waste Transfer Station |
Off Bruce Highway DAVESON Ph: 1300 763 903 |
Enviroland |
76 Lower Freshwater Rd KAMERUNGA Ph: (07) 4055 1555 |
Gordonvale Transfer Station |
Lot 1 Bruce Highway GORDONVALE Ph: 1300 69 2247 |
Killaloe Transfer Station and Landfill |
Lot 170 Killaloe Dump Road KILLALOE Ph: (07) 4098 4904 |
Kuranda Transfer Station |
2186 Kennedy Highway KOAH Ph: 1300 308 461 |
LSC Recycling and Rehab |
Off Lake Placid Rd CARAVONICA Ph: 0499 060 224 |
Mareeba Electric Ant Carrier Waste Facility |
Hickling Avenue MAREEBA Ph: 1300 308 461 |
Northern Sands and Waste Management |
563 Captain Cook Highway HOLLOWAYS BEACH Ph: (07) 4055 9585 |
Portsmith Transfer Station |
37–51 Lyons Street PORTSMITH Ph: 1300 69 2247 |
Smithfield Transfer Station |
Lot 1 Dunne Road SMITHFIELD Ph: 1300 69 2247 |
Tully Transfer Station |
374 Tully Gorge Road TULLY Ph: (07) 4068 3910 |
Surveying for electric ants
The search is on for electric ants—register for a free yard check or report suspect electric ants today and help eradicate electric ants from Far North Queensland.
Don't accidentally spread electric ants—use our interactive map to check the location of the electric ant restricted zone, and the movement controls that apply.
Conducting regular surveillance for electric ants is vital to prevent the spread of this serious pest.
Surveillance by Biosecurity Queensland field officers uses a range of techniques that consist of both food lures and traps using a three-dimensional approach—that is, looking not just on the ground but also up into trees.
A variety of these techniques are used to ensure the tiny pest is detected if it is present, including:
- on-ground lures
- in-ground pit-fall traps
- in-tree canopy traps
- odour detection dogs.
On-ground lures
Footpath and targeted surveillance using on-ground lures are efficient and effective methods of detecting electric ants in residential areas and you may see our field officers carrying out this activity in your suburb.
To attract the ants, field officers use hotdog sausage lures that are attached to pink-taped wooden skewers. These lures do not contain chemicals and are safe if a pet accidentally consumes them.
If you see these lures on the street or in public areas, do not disturb them—if you have any queries or concerns, contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.
In-ground pit-fall traps
In-ground pit-fall traps are a highly effective and sensitive method of conducting surveillance, usually to confirm the destruction of an infestation. The pit-fall traps contain lures and are left in the ground for, generally, one week.
If you see these traps set on the street or in public areas, do not disturb them—if you have any queries or concerns, contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.
In-tree canopy traps
Canopy traps are an effective method of determining if electric ants have survived within a tree canopy. A lure is placed inside the trap and the trap erected in the tree for, generally, 1 week.
If you see these set in trees, do not disturb them—if you have any queries or concerns, contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.
Odour detection dogs
Odour detection dogs can detect electric ants with great accuracy and are predominantly used to confirm that electric ant infestations have been destroyed once the bait treatment regime is complete.
Reporting electric ants
Community participation is vital to the successful control of electric ants. Although they are not easy to identify because of their small size, we ask that everyone search their yard, business premises and community spaces and report any suspect ants.
To report suspect ants, you can:
- phone the Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23
- register for a free yard check.
If you have reported before and had a negative result, do not hesitate to contact us again as electric ants are easily transportable and therefore may have been brought to your property, or an adjoining property, since we last visited.
If you are stung and experience a reaction, seek medical advice.
Bait treatment for electric ants
The search is on for electric ants—register for a free yard check or report suspect electric ants today and help eradicate electric ants from Far North Queensland.
Don't accidentally spread electric ants—use our interactive map to check the location of the electric ant restricted zone, and the movement controls that apply.
The electric ant treatment process is quick, effective and safe for humans and pets.
Broadcast bait
Broadcast baiting is used as an effective means of distributing bait for electric ants. It is collected by the worker ants and taken to the queens of colonies in the vicinity. It can affect colonies not visible to field officers and is a quick method of covering broad areas.
Bait treatment does not work if the area is irrigated 24 hours before or after application.
How broadcast bait works
Broadcast ant baits are made of small pieces of corn grit (about 1–3mm) that are soaked in soybean oil and either the metabolic inhibitor hydramethylnon or the insect growth regulator S-methoprene. Both products have low-toxicity to humans and animals and are non-residual, meaning the chemical breaks down quickly. The baits contain less than 1% active insecticide.
Hydramethylnon is a slow-acting insecticide which is especially effective against the queen ant. Worker ants will find the bait granules, carry them back to the nest and pass them to the queen and other nest-mates. Hydramethylnon works by disrupting the metabolic processes of the electric ants, preventing the ants from digesting food. Ants that have ingested these baits die in approximately 72 hours.
Baits containing the insect growth regulator S-methoprene interfere with the growth or development of ants by deteriorating the reproductive organs of the queen and affecting larvae development. The lack of worker replacement results in colony death as the existing worker ants age and die. Within 3 to 4 weeks there is substantial colony mortality and within 8 weeks the majority of the colony has been eliminated.
Bait application
On an average suburban residential block (approximately 1,000m2), about 250g of bait will be used in each treatment (approximately half a teaspoon/m2). As the baits contain less than 1% of the chemical, very little chemical (about 2g) will be contained within the corn grits distributed on an average block during each treatment.
Residents should not irrigate treatment areas for 24 hours before and after application as water can wash out the insecticide making the bait ineffective.
While it is quite safe to walk on ground that has been treated, it is required that areas are left undisturbed for at least 24 hours before and after application to maximise uptake of the bait by the ants. Landholders should not handle or make contact with the bait. If contact occurs, wash hands (or contact area) well. This bait may irritate the eyes.
Safety of bait chemicals
The bait treatment is not harmful to humans or animals, as it is specifically targeted at electric ants. After the baits are distributed, they rapidly break down in direct sunlight.
The baits are used according to the conditions prescribed on the relevant product labels and permits from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to ensure safety to humans, animals, and the environment.
The baits pose no risk to pregnant women or unborn babies. Scientific testing does not indicate that these insecticides can cause birth defects. However, it is always important to minimise exposure to all chemicals during pregnancy.
Exposure to active chemical is likely to be very low, particularly after a day or more has passed since the bait was applied. As these chemicals are of very low toxicity, no adverse effects would be expected if any bait were to be swallowed. However, if you have any concerns, seek medical advice from your family doctor.
If you think someone has become sick as a direct result of electric ant baits, ensure that medical advice and attention is sought from your doctor. Notify Biosecurity Queensland by calling 13 25 23, after consultation with your doctor.
For further information, contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.
© The State of Queensland 1995–2024
- Last reviewed: 08 Sep 2021
- Last updated: 08 Sep 2021