Be Afraid ! Be very afraid ! It seems that a colony of dreaded Fire Ants has managed to hitch a ride on a shipping container from overseas - and been discovered making a new home in a container terminal in the Sydney suburb of Botany.
Several years ago this dreaded pest managed to gain a foothold in Brisbane and since then that state has spent billions of dollars on eradication measures - with limited success. At best, it could be said that these programmes have stopped them spreading and gaining new territory, but their total destruction is far from certain.
Fire Ants are a South American insect known by the biological name "Solenopsis invicta". They are red in colour and are known in some places as "Raspberry Ants "or " Crazy Ants " - and they are quite capable of killing humans. To step on one of their nests is to invite a huge swarm to erupt, running up an invaders legs are delivering excruciatingly painful stings. Once they establish a presence they quickly kill off all other forms of wildlife. Anything living receives the venom from their stings - and is eradicated. In most cases, this clearing extends to plants and bushes as the swelling colony interferes with their root systems.
We have a milder - but still feared - type of ant that is a habitual Australian native pest - as anyone will know who has ever encountered the "Bull Ant "! They also attack in great numbers and are territorial, but the ferocity of a Fire Ant attack is so overwhelming that victims are often too paralysed to make an escape - and suffer an awful death.
If this pest gains a broad foothold the type of lifestyle we enjoy in this country will become impossible. We can not share the outdoors with Fire Ants and the day of a BBQ in the backyard will cease. Victims will include the family pets. All living creatures are the enemy of the Fire Ant and the family dog or cat would be vulnerable to attack.
One of the characteristics of Fire Ants is their ability to establish a presence unnoticed. It is common for victims to report that a big colony suddenly emerged almost "overnight "! It seems that they have the ability to curb their aggression - until they have the numbers to defend their new territory.
Fortunately early detection has involved a massive counter attack from our Agricultural department. No expense has been spared in saturating the entire container terminal and there is a very good chance that these ants will be eliminated, but this incident delivers a clear warning that globalization increases the risk of other invasive species seeking entry as we trade with a host of new developing countries.
The list of pests that would not be welcome here is long and the trade in shipping containers is so extensive that only a small percentage are actually inspected on entry. We are very reliant on the exporter being vigilant and observing our quarantine requirements strictly when packing goods for the Australian market. There is always the possibility of trade rivals deliberately introducing pests to harm what they see as a competitor. In extreme cases, damaging the food supply could be considered an act of war.
Just as the fear of Ebola is making countries nervous about the intermingling of human passenger traffic by way of air travel, the cargo container is masking the ability of many other forms of menace to hitch a ride and arrive on our shores unnoticed. In particular, the presence of live living matter to stow away is ever present and perhaps we need to selectively pass containers from high risk areas through a gas chamber to ensure safety.
The arrival of Fire Ants should be a wake up call. This time we were lucky. Maybe next time - the luck will be with the invader !
No comments:
Post a Comment