Fire ants have made their way west to Toowoomba

Once contained in an area from Brisbane to Gatton, authorities confirmed the presence of Queensland's costliest pest just north of Toowoomba over the weekend.

A National Fire Ant Eradication Program spokesperson said residents in Kleinton and surrounding suburbs should be on the lookout for fire ants after a confirmed detection in the area.

"A member of the public discovered a suspect nest on their property and reported it to us at the National Fire Ant Eradication Program," they said.

"Our teams have since inspected over 180 properties in the surrounding area and found one additional nest on a nearby property.

"The nests have been destroyed and we are methodically conducting treatment and surveillance of all properties in the area to ensure there aren't any more nests. We have also taken a sample of the ants for genetic testing.

"Eradicating fire ants requires a whole-of-community approach. This means community, business, industry and all levels of government working together to protect Australia from this invasive pest."

A 2021 study found the ant had cost the state's economy $838 million.

They can significantly affect the agriculture industry, attacking young animals, stinging around the eyes, mouth, and nose, leading to blindness and suffocation.

More than 50 agricultural and horticultural crops, as well as turf and nursery species, can be affected by fire ants.

Fire ants were first detected in Brisbane in 2001, although it is thought that they may have arrived up to 20 years earlier.

How they entered Australia is not known but it is likely that they entered in shipping containers from America.

Fire ants are attracted to disturbed soil and are often transported through the human-assisted movement of organic materials including soil, hay, mulch, manure, quarry products, potted plants and turf.

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