THE threat represented by fire ants recently became very real for Ipswich West MP Jim Madden.

This was when he came across hundreds of fire ants at an interchange just out of Marburg in early October.

Mr Madden saw the fire ants on a footpath and on a private property and reported the problem to Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey and to Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Mark Furner.

“As a result of reporting the problem, an employee from Transport and Main Roads (TMR) attended the site on October 7 and identified fire ant’s nests, and on October 12 officers from the National Imported Red Fire Ant Eradication Program attended the site,” he said.

“Over 300 fire ant nests were located and subsequently were treated with fast acting bait.

“Program staff also identified a similar infestation on a paddock adjacent to the infestation.

“The Program will continue to treat the infested sites over the coming months with multiple rounds of insect growth regulator bait and will destroy any identified high-risk nests by way of direct nest injection.”

Mr Madden added that TMR understood the severity of the issue to the community.

“This is very serious to local residents and the broader community, warning signage has now been installed along publicly accessible areas to notify the public of the fire ants.

“Business owners and residents may choose to self-treat through the purchase of baits or by engaging a pest manager at their expense and fire ant bait can be purchased through local and online retailers and pest chemical suppliers.

“Residents in areas of high-density fire ant infestation can also undertake proactive treatment of their properties to prevent fire ants from moving in.”

Free fire ant bait is also available to residents in selected suburbs within the Ipswich City Council area to treat their properties.

This treatment requires two rounds of bait.