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The yellow crazy ant infestation at Edmonton was first detected in 2001 and has become established over about 600ha in the Bentley Park, Edmonton and Mount Peter areas south of Cairns. Yellow crazy ants were detected within the World Heritage Area and Little Mulgrave National Park in 2012 and now cover up to 30ha within these protected areas.
You can find out all about the impacts of yellow crazy ants on our Stamp out yellow crazy ants page.
As part of the treatment program we will need the cooperation of local residents. You have probably already have received some information about yellow crazy ants been asked to fill out a consent form. These forms allow a pest controller to enter your property to lay ant baits when required.
The consent forms also allow you to ask the pest controller to contact you before treatments to manage locked gates and dangerous pets.
You can download a consent form for yellow crazy ants here if you have not yet filled one out.
Some landholders of larger properties may be asked if they consent to allow helicopters used for baiting tofly within 10m of their house (while remaining about 50 feet above the ground).
You can download a consent form for helicopter baiting near your house here.
The Wet Tropics Management Authority has received $2M funding from the Australian Government to eradicate yellow crazy ants from the Edmonton area and surrounds. The program will run for five years, from 2013 to 2018. Details of the eradication program are listed below.
Delimitation of the crazy ant infestationMarch 2016 - The Natural Asset Management Advisory Committee Taskforce again mapped the western boundary of the yellow crazy ant Infestation. There was no expansion of the yellow crazy ants on the western boundary.
2 to 6 March 2015 - The Natural Asset Management Advisory Committee Taskforce mapped the western boundary of the yellow crazy ant Infestation. They found no significant expansion of the ants over the past year. Participants reported that the numbers of yellow crazy ants were significantly less than a year ago.
Many thanks to all the participants from FNQ Regional Organisation of Councils, local governments from across the Wet Tropics, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Conservation Volunmteers Australia, Biosecurity Queensland, Jarragun NRM, Djunbunji Land and Sea Rangers and Gunggandji Rangers.
Aerial treatments by helicopter (dry weather required)25-26 August 2016 - An eighth round of treatment was completed using Engage P.
25-26 July 2016 - A seventh round of treatment was completed using Fipronil bait.
12 April 2016 - A sixth round of aerial treatment using Engage P was completed covering about 520ha.
13-15 July 2015 - A fifth round of aerial treatements using Fiponil was completed covering about 540ha.
17-18 March 2015 - A fourth round of aerial treatments with Engage P was completed covering 567ha.
17-18 November 2014 - the third round of aerial treatments by helicopter was completed, covering 560 hectares.
13 to 22 August 2014 - The second round of aerial baiting by helicopter was completed. The helicopter dropped granular bait that the ants took back to the nest and feed to the queens. The treatment area included cane farms and rural areas adjacent to the World Heritage Area and forested areas inside the World Heritage Area.
9 May 2014 - The first of three treatments took place over 410ha of sugar cane and forests from 9 May to 12 May 2014 and used the chemical Engage P, an insect growth regulator that breaks the reproductive cycle on the ants by sterilising the queens.
Ground baiting (dry weather required)July- August 2016 - Ground baiting continues in creek areas.
May 2016 - Treatment continues at Stony Creek.
January February 2016 - Another round of treatments was completed in Balckfellows creek catchment and Wrights Creek catchment (including Stony Creek, Greys Creek andf Sandy Creek.
November 2015 - Stony Creek treated again
August/September 2015 - Another round of treatments was completed in Balckfellows creek catchment and Wrights Creek catchment (including Stony Creek, Greys Creek andf Sandy Creek.
June/July 2015 - Treatments continued in the Wrights Creek catchment on Stony Creek, Sandy Creek and Greys Creek
April/May2015 - The Operations Team continued to work on Ainscow Creek, Blackfellows Creek and adjacent properties.
March 2015 - The Operations Team treated Sandy Creek, Greys Creek and Stoney Creek.
December 2015 - Treatment now focuses on treating creek and rainforest areas rather than residential properties. Residents advisd to contact local pest controllers or to use Synergy Pro Ant Bait.
15 December 2015 - The field team treated Stoney Creek and upper Blackfellows Creek to reduce the risk of ants being washed downstream during the wet season.
28 November 2014 - On-ground crews worked along Ainscow Creek and adjoining properties in the area. Residents will be notified of upcoming treatment by a note in the letterbox one or two weeks prior to treatment.
27 October 2014 - Ground baiting was undertaken by WTMA staff and CVA volunteers in Bentley Park. The team completed baiting in riparian areas along Blackfellows Creek and adjoining properties.
25 June 2014 - Safeway Pest Control began ground baiting in residential areas with the pesticide Antoff Fipronil Ant Bait in the 100m buffer areas around residential lots where the aerial treatment was consdiered too dangerous.
June 2014 - Safeway Pest Control completed baiting using Engage P in riparian areas and areas within 5m of waterways and storm drains in residential areas.
You can download a map of the treatment area for the Bentley Park, Edmonton and Mount Peter infestation of yellow crazy ants in April 2016- 2MB). The treatment area comprises the infestation area with a 100m buffer added.
Two new small infestations were detected at Edmonton (7ha) and Gordonvale (3ha). Two sites at Wiseman West and a farm have had no acts detected and are on the countdown to eradication. The need to be surveyed at six monthly intervals for two years to prove eradication.
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