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Community awareness, support and vigilance are critical for detecting new infestations and stopping the spread of invasive ants.
Yellow crazy ants are named for their fast, erratic movement when disturbed.
They are slender, between 3 and 4mm in length and have long antennae and legs.
Yellow crazy ants are golden-brown with a darker brown abdomen that is sometimes striped.
Yellow crazy ants do not bite or sting—they spray formic acid to subdue their prey, immobilising or blinding invertebrates and other small animals.
Yellow crazy ant nests are highly variable, not obvious and can be hard to spot. The ants take advantage of structure such as tree roots but can also nest in loose leaf litter.
This species is polygynous, which means they may have multiple queens in a single nest, as a result, their rate of reproduction can be very high.
Rather than competing with each other, yellow crazy ants readily collaborate and form super-colonies: large, interconnected networks of nests that can contain hundreds of queens and millions of ants.
Once established, infestations can rapidly expand by up to 100m a year and can also spread by being washed downstream along waterways.
If you notice unusual ants in the Cairns region that you suspect might be yellow crazy ants, report them immediately to WTMA's Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program: call (07) 4241 0525, email yca@wtma.qld.gov.au, or use the online form.
You can also report suspect ants using AntZone—a collaboration between WTMA and Biosecurity Queensland.
AntZone is a mobile-friendly online map that lets you search for yellow crazy ant and electric ant infestations in your area. It provides information on your responsibilities, the relevant eradication programs, and ways to report suspect ants.
Remember, if you need to move materials (including soil, mulch, vegetation and green waste), check AntZone to ensure you’re not at risk of spreading invasive ants.
More details on yellow crazy ants, their impacts, treatment, eradication, and what you can do to help are available in our handbooks.
Follow WTMA's Eradication Program on Facebook @ycawettropics.
