Fremantle residents and commercial businesses in the vicinity of the port may receive a visit from Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development surveillance personnel over the next fortnight, searching for red imported fire ants (RIFA).
An extensive surveillance campaign for RIFA (Solenopsis invicta) has been underway since late November 2019, after the exotic ant was discovered on a tenanted property at the port.
Department Chief Plant Biosecurity Officer Sonya Broughton said surveillance personnel would inspect external premises with the permission of residents and business owners.
“Surveillance is imperative to determine if this highly invasive pest has spread beyond the initial discovery at the port,” Dr Broughton said.
“Our personnel, who carry identification cards and drive marked surveillance vehicles, will make contact with occupants to seek access to their premises before inspecting for RIFA.
“This will involve a visual inspection and a collection of observed ants, which should take less than half an hour.”
If premises occupants are not home, department personnel will leave a calling card requesting they make contact to arrange an inspection.
Surveillance personnel have found no further RIFA detections since the initial discovery at the Fremantle North Port area, when several linked nests were detected and subsequently treated and removed.
The department is also dispersing ant baits to all premises within a 500 metre radius of the detection point.
“Baiting is undertaken as an additional precaution to eradicate any surviving ants,” Dr Broughton said.
The baits pose no risk to human and pet health.
More information about the chemicals used in the baits is available in the RIFA Frequently Asked Questions section of the department’s homepage agric.wa.gov.au/rifa.
A RIFA Quarantine Area over a two kilometre radius from the detection point continues to be in place, which extends from Port Beach, as far south as the South Fremantle Dog Beach and east to East Street.
Movement restrictions within the Quarantine Area prevent host material being removed, such as potted plants, plant mulch, bark and wood chips, hay and straw, manure, soil, grass and turf or other organic matter, machinery and equipment and shipping containers, which could harbour ants.
All commercial premises within the Quarantine Area will also be inspected, as well as waste recycling facilities in receipt of RIFA host material from within the Quarantine Area.
“The department is very grateful to Fremantle residents and businesses for their continued support of our RIFA response, to prevent this pest from threatening our valuable agriculture sector, the environment, economy and enviable outdoor lifestyle,” Dr Broughton said.
“It is important for the Fremantle community to remain vigilant and to report any observations of unfamiliar ants to the department.
“RIFA look very similar to common native ants, are reddish brown in colour with a darker abdomen and vary in size between two to six millimetres long.
“Please be careful when observing ants and take preventative measures to avoid coming into contact with the pest, which could be RIFA and may inflict a fiery sting.”
Suspect ant sightings should be reported to the department using its MyPestGuideTM Reporter app or online at mypestguide.agric.wa.gov.au. Alternatively, contact the Pest and Disease Information Service on +61 (0)8 9368 3080 or padis@dpird.wa.gov.au
More information on RIFA and the department’s response can be found at agric.wa.gov.au/rifa
Media contacts:
Jodie Thomson/Megan Broad, media liaison +61 (0)8 9368 3937