Specialised detection dogs have uncovered red imported fire ant nests at five additional mine sites in Central Queensland - just six weeks after the first nest was found at a coal mine in the region.

Investigators traced the spread to pallets of bricks moved approximately 800 km from a regulated area. As a result, the affected mines are now under intense surveillance, and biosecurity zones have been updated following these detections.

Red imported fire ants are notorious for their ability to spread via human activity, hitchhiking on soil, equipment, and other materials. They pose a serious threat due to their potential to cause significant social, economic, and environmental harm. If established in New Zealand, they could spell the end of camping, outdoor BBQs, backyard cricket, and even keeping pets outside.

Read more about the Australian national eradication programme here.

Read more about Biosecurity New Zealand’s measures for keeping red imported fire ants out of New Zealand here.

Image: Fire ants are copper-brown with a dark abdomen, and quite small at 2-6mm long. Photo credit: Alex Wild.