Page 27 - Tropic Magazine Issue 34
P. 27
TROPIC • ENVIRONMENT
1. Yellow Crazy Ant. Credit: Alan Henderson
2. The Authority’s dog handler Stuart Biggs
with Fury, one of the three odour detection dogs.
Credit: Kerry Trapnell.
hectares
4,019 surveyed in 2021
1,104 hectares
treated
1 2
Eradicating ants Almost five years after an infestation
of yellow crazy ants was detected on a
3.1-hectare site in the Mount Peter area,
INVASIVE PEST
the pests have been officially stamped out. These positive results are
The Cairns community can Since May 2017 the block has been treated showing that we
celebrate a new milestone in the twice, followed by six surveys using a are winning
challenge to eradicate yellow variety of methods, including working
with odour detection dogs.
crazy ants, with a fourth site Yellow crazy ants are one of the world’s Scott Buchanan
Executive Director
confirmed as free of the most invasive pests, and the Wet Tropics Wet Tropics
invasive species. Management Authority has been Management Authority
leading an eradication program within
and adjacent to the Wet Tropics World “We continue to improve and innovate
Heritage Area. Executive Director Scott and have recently acquired an additional
Buchanan said the occurrence of ants has two odour detection dogs, Luna and
decreased dramatically since its program Pretzel, to join Fury.
began in 2013. “The dogs are particularly adept at
“The four eradication sites are just the detecting low densities of small
beginning,” he said. “Some 1,534 hectares ant populations.”
of previously infested areas have now The Authority hopes to engage a fourth
been transitioned to spot treatments and odour detection dog and has established
long-term monitoring to an odour production room housing
confirm eradication.” live colonies of yellow crazy ants at the
However, with joint funding from the Authority’s operations base, to help train
Queensland and Australian governments the dogs.
due to run out on 30 June, the Authority The success of the program is also built
is seeking ongoing support for the on increasing community awareness in
program to continue until 2028. “If this how to identify yellow crazy ants. If you
is granted for an additional six years, our suspect you have them in your area, call
modelling shows that in that time we will 1800 CRAZY ANT.
have eradicated almost 90 per cent of the
current known infestation,”
Mr Buchanan said. MORE: wettropics.gov.au
27 • tropicnow.com.au
