Red Ants In Sydney? Three Facts You Need To Know
After the discovery of red ants at Port Botany, inspectors are asking for homeowners to be vigilant for signs this insect has appeared on their property. While these are a problem in some parts of America, this type of ant is rarely found in Australia and the government would like to keep it that way. To help you know what you are looking for while you are doing some winter garden maintenance, these are the three main facts you need to know about red ants.
Why Are Red Ants A Problem?
There are two primary reasons why Australia does not want to see a large increase in the number of red ants here. Those are:
- Red ants are aggressive and deliver a painful bite. They attack livestock, chained up dogs, and children playing outside in a playground. Keeping children inside while red ants are being eradicated is unhealthy for the kids.
- Red ants feed on plants. Not only can they destroy large quantities of vegetation when they have big nest numbers, but agricultural workers are discouraged from harvesting in infested areas because of the painful ant sting.
To know whether you have red ants on your property, you must be able to properly identify them.
What Do Red Ants Look Like?
The standard Australian black house ant is only 2 to 3 mm long, but the red ant is 2 to 6 mm long. Unlike the standard ant, red ants have a head and body that are a coppery-red colour. Their abdomen is darker than the rest of the body.
Now is the best time to be on the lookout for nests in your gardens because they often build nest mounds during the winter months.
What Is A Nest Mound?
A red ant nest mound can appear suddenly and may not even look like a mound at all. Red ant nests can vary in size from a small layer of disturbed soil in your garden to a mound that is up to 40 cm tall. The only thing uniform around red ant nests is you do not see any visible entry holes.
If you have concerns about checking out your garden for the presence of red ants, a professional pest control team can carry out this task for you. If red ants are found, they must contact the Department of Primary Industries so the nest location can be recorded, and an eradication program can be started.
Now you know more about red ants and their threat to Australia, you can play a part in making sure they don't spread any further inland.
