red fire ants
Recently a serious new pest that has been detected in the Australia.- the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA).
These nasty pests are destructive to the environment and have the potential to destroy agricultural production.
The national program which is in its second year is being overseen by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries. 1.4 million dollars has been made available for allocation among the states and territories to fund approved surveillance proposals.
Fire ants look very much like ordinary house or garden ants. They are:
- Small;
- Reddish-brown in colour on the head and body, with a darker abdomen; and
- Come in a variety of sizes within one nest, ranging from 2mm to 6 mm. This is a distinguishing feature of fire ants.
Their nests look like dome-shaped mounds up to 40cm high. Mounds will not always be evident, but are usually found in open areas such as lawns, pastures and along roadsides.
Fire ants will cause a nasty sting, which can causes a small blister to form at the site of each sting after several hours