Acid-Spraying Yellow Crazy Ants Found in the Gold Coast For the First Time Could Spread Across Australia

Yellow crazy ants are multiplying in great numbers and are marching throughout Australia, according to various local sources.

The acid-spraying ants are being considered by local authorities to be an emerging major threat since the invasive ant species can destroy Australian wildlife, natural habitats, and spread nationwide.

With most ant infestation reported in the state of Queensland, authorities confirmed for the first time the presence of the ants in the city of Gold Coast.

This discovery further added to the growing concern of the potential capability of the invasive insects to cause an extinction-level event for some animal species, including small mammals, frogs, and lizards, as well as large animals.

While the acid-spitting ants are not considered to be a threat to human health and only to be a domestic nuisance, an ant swarm could still overwhelm backyards and parklands.

In addition, infants and children are also at risk from the tiny insects if left unattended.

Over the two decades, yellow crazy ant population has increased dramatically across the country, notably in the coastal areas of Queensland.

To address the threat, the Australian Government launched a series of ant eradication programs, but which was proven to be futile in the long run.

The ants are known for releasing acid to blind their animal prey first before killing them.

Australia Ant Invasion

(Photo : Photo uploaded by Jonkerz with author John Tann under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license )

The aggressive invasive species of yellow crazy ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) were first discovered in the city of Cairns, Queensland, back in 2001.

Since then, the notorious insects were spotted in both rural and urban areas.

According to a 2020 report of Queensland's Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), multiple infestations of the ants have been detected in agricultural, commercial, industrial, residential, and forest environments near the seaside zones of Queensland.

Other suburbs in southeastern Queensland such as Cairns, Hervey Bay, and Townsville have also witnessed the ant swarm.

In terms of countrywide infestation, the DAF stated yellow crazy ants are also living in the Northern Territory and on Christmas Island.

Also Read: Deadly Fungus That Pierces Ants' Gut Cells are Wiping Out Invasive Ant Colonies in the U.S.

Economic and Ecological Disaster

The looming ant invasion in Australia has a deeper economic repercussion and ecological disaster waiting to happen, if the growing crazy yellow ant population is not contained.

For instance, the efforts to conduct widespread eradication measures could further cost millions of Australian dollars again.

Following the new discovery of the ants at a private property in the Yatala area on the Gold Coast on Monday, June 6, the latest develop sparks fears of the continuation of the countrywide-level ant invasion in Australia, according to 7news.com.au.

Ant Eradication Programs

Also called Maldive ant or long-legged ant, yellow crazy ants are native to West Africa and Asia.

Since the invasives ants are not naturally from Australia, various measures to kill or decrease their population have been made by the Australian Government since their discovery 21 years ago.

However, these efforts were not effective.

In 2012, Queensland declared the yellow crazy ants as an ineradicable species and led to the abandonment of the ant eradication programs.

The state reportedly committed nearly $25 million during a federal election about a baiting program in Cairns.

The ants are highly capable of reaching a very large population that is hazardous to everything on their path, according to Dr. Ben Hoffmann, scientist at the CSIRO Health & Biosecurity unit, as cited by Australian media site news.com.au.