AUSTRALIA is on the brink of becoming the latest hunting ground for the red
fire ant as the authorities desperately try to stop it establishing itself
there.
Solenopsis invicta gained a foothold in the country earlier this
year and has already conquered 40,000 hectares around Brisbane. If eradication
plans fail, red fire ants could spread across the country in 30 years.
The consequences are likely to be disastrous in financial and personal terms.
Fire ants can be killers. In the US, where the ants have already spread rapidly
from their home in South America, millions of people are stung…
