FIRE ant eradication treatments will be conducted in winter under the State Government’s plan to accelerate efforts to help reduce the pest’s infestation footprint.

Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said year-round treatment of the pest was a first.

“The additional winter treatments follow scientific trials conducted by the National Fire Ant Eradication Program that have proven fire ants continue to forage and consume treatment granules even as Queensland experiences cooler temperatures.”

Eradication treatment has begun in western areas of the biosecurity zone, including parts of the Lockyer Valley through Somerset and the Scenic Rim, before teams then move east towards the southern Gold Coast, where warmer temperatures persist longer.

“The era of Labor’s lacklustre go-slow approach to fire ants is over and we are meeting this challenge with all the resources available,” Minister Perrett said.

“The research-based treatment all year round could change the game for the National Fire Ant Eradication Program and puts Queensland in a very exciting position to have the best chance to eradicate fire ants from Australia by 2032.”