Western Australia gets another pest
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (342178)
Rockingham, Australia
November 28, 2019 6:16am CST
The photo is not of a pest, but a numbat.
As if Australia doesn’t have a bad enough reputation already for the number of nasty creatures it harbours, another has now been added to the list. Actually the red imported fire ant has been in Queensland for a while but six nests have now been found in Fremantle, Western Australia’s major port. It is believed these ants have come from overseas rather than from Queensland.
In some cases, stings from the ants have caused deaths from anaphylactic reactions. Others can become very ill from the fiery painful sting. The red imported fire ant is quick to form super colonies with multiple queens and spreads rapidly.
It is a major problem for horticulture as it invades plant roots and stems, driving down productivity. The presence of these ants can render picnic areas and playgrounds unusable because of the severity of the bit.
They are similar in appearance to our native ants, being reddish-brown in colour and between 2 to 6 mms in length (.7 to 2.3 inches).
Our state emblem, the numbat, eats ants but I don't know how it would go with these nasty little devils.
You can read more here:
An invasive ant species whose bite can be deadly has been found at Fremantle Port, the first time it has been detected in WA.
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37 responses
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
28 Nov 19
Ouch!! I've been bit by fire ants here and they have put me in the hospital.
5 people like this
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
1 Dec 19
@JudyEv Yes they are nasty and can be deadly if allergic to them. My throat was closing and I need an epi pen in case I'm bit.
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@JudyEv (342178)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Dec 19
@LovingMyBabies Oh dear. Then for you, such a bite could be really dangerous.
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@moffittjc (121731)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Nov 19
I laughed when I read this (although it's no laughing matter), because we have red fire ants all over the place here in Florida. Ours, too, arrived from somewhere else, and quickly spread and established themselves all over our state. They're just a part of our normal life now, and we just try to avoid them the best we can just like we do for alligators and pythons! And yes, their bite is extremely painful.
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@moffittjc (121731)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Nov 19
@JudyEv They're a very reddish color. Most native ants are black or brown, so yes it's easy to pick them out.
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@JudyEv (342178)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Nov 19
@moffittjc We have some native ones that are quite red.
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
28 Nov 19
they do sound nasty - the numbat is cute though
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
29 Nov 19
@JudyEv it does ound really bad - hope you don't encounter them
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@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
28 Nov 19
I think I had read about red fire ants that have venoms and can cause paralysis. Maybe you need to fight it with natural predators like the ant eaters called pangolins.
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@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
29 Nov 19
@JudyEv ouch, that means the red ants is there to stay?
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@JudyEv (342178)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Nov 19
@Alexandoy They are quite prevalent on the other side of the country but they are hoping that they have exterminated the ones at the port. Hopefully there aren't any more nests around.
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@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
28 Nov 19
That numbat is cool. I hadn't known of it. I hope those fire ants don't become any more of a problem. They sound mean
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@JudyEv (342178)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Nov 19
@FayeHazel They are 14 to 18 inches long but that includes the tail so about small cat size I guess and yes, a bit like a squirrel. They sometimes sit up a bit like a meercat. The are also known as a banded anteater. The tongue is long and sticky. And I used to ride my pony in the bush and sometimes see them.
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@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
29 Nov 19
@JudyEv Awesome! And they eat pests. Bonus. How big is it? Looks sort of squirrel like, maybe? Riding? Horseback?
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@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
29 Nov 19
Oh boy they have reached your continent already and for sure if they are able to thrive they would be a big nuisance to your place. I think with the transportation very open for these animals to be transported this one can survive there quite quickly if they are not stopped immediately. Hope your local anteaters will be able to eradicate them before they outnumber them.
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@marguicha (223802)
• Chile
29 Nov 19
I don´t much like any sort of bugs, specially those that are importad for lack of care from human beings.
2 people like this
@marguicha (223802)
• Chile
29 Nov 19
@JudyEv I know. I have less problems because I live in a big city.
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@rebelann (112983)
• El Paso, Texas
30 Nov 19
You're right, I don't @JudyEv Deserts have a variety of pesky pests like carpenter ants, they're everywhere and scorpions but they reside outside urban areas most times, I've been lucky not to have come across any.
Of course we have snakes but they generally stay away from noisy areas, they can't hear but they can feel the vibrations of noise and they don't like that. Lucky me, eh?
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@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
29 Nov 19
Very nasty those by the sound of it.
We have hugs wasps nests around the country and the wasps are not from here either.
Nice photo.
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@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
30 Nov 19
@JudyEv
They never say anything positive about it all.
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@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
29 Nov 19
i sure hope those numbats find 'em quite tasty. seems those ants 're quite prolific. wonder where they were imported from??? hopefully this new invasion 'tis been caught quickly. those bites 're very painful 'n bein' a new species there, no tellin's how bad a reaction folks'd 've if'n they'd the misfortune to be bitten.
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@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
30 Nov 19
@JudyEv shame'n ya! jest kiddin' :) i hope they found 'em all, too. if'n not though, i hope y'all 've plenty to prey 'pon 'em. once they get well 'stablished, 'tis a nightmare to get rid 'f 'em.
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