Fire ants
Report fire ants
If you find fire ants on your property, report them within 24 hours.
Report fire ants
Fire ants have spread to South East Queensland, including the Gold Coast. We need everyone's help to get rid of fire ants in our community.
Fire ants may be small, but they can ruin our backyards, playgrounds, parks and beaches.
Fire ants are aggressive and have a painful sting. When their nests are disturbed, fire ants swarm and can sting multiple times.
Fire ant response
Fire ants originally come from South America. The Queensland Government has been working to eradicate fire ants in the state since 2001 through the National Fire Ant Eradication Program. In 2022, they launched a new strategy to contain and eradicate fire ants. This is a 10-year plan to eradicate fire ants by 2032.
The Program leads the efforts to find, contain and eliminate fire ants in South East Queensland. We support the Program by:
- reporting fire ant nests to the Queensland Government
- treating Council-managed land to reduce risks to the community and environment.
How fire ants are being treated
Fire ant operations differ, depending on the known threat. There are 3 zones:
- surveillance zone – the outer edge of the known fire ant problem which acts like a barrier to prevent spread
- eradication zone – the area where the National Fire Ant Eradication Program's treatment is underway
- suppression zone – local Councils treat public spaces, and residents report fire ants and manage their properties.
The National Fire Ant Eradication Program is responsible for the surveillance and eradication zones.
City of Gold Coast is responsible for the public spaces in the suppression zone in our area. We do not treat land managed by other agencies or private properties.
Refer to the Fire ant response plan map to see the spread of fire ants and the different zones in South East Queensland including the Gold Coast.
Gold Coast suburbs in surveillance & eradication zones
- Advancetown
- Burleigh Heads
- Burleigh Waters
- Coolangatta
- Currumbin
- Currumbin Waters
- Currumbin Valley
- Elanora
- Lower Beechmont
- Kirra
- Miami
- Mudgeeraba
- Neranwood
- Palm Beach
- Reedy Creek
- Robina
- Tallebudgera
- Tallebudgera Valley
- Tugun
- Varsity Lakes
Gold Coast suburbs in the suppression zone
- Alberton
- Bilinga
- Cedar Creek
- Coomera
- Coomera
- Guanaba
- Hope Island
- Jacobs Well
- Jacobs Well
- Kingsholme
- Luscombe
- Maudsland
- Ormeau
- Oxenford
- Pacific Pines
- Pimpama
- Runaway Bay
- Stapylton
- Steiglitz
- Upper Coomera
- Upper Coomera
- Willow Vale
- Woongoolba
- Yatala
Suburbs in the suppression zone receive ongoing treatment.
How you can help
- Report fire ants on your property within 24 hours.
- Allow the Program access to your property for treatment, even if you don't see any fire ants.
- Treat your own property, if it is in a suppression zone. You can register to receive a free treatment kit on the National Fire Ant Eradication Program website.
Find out more
To find out more about this pest and how to control it, visit the National Fire Ant Eradication Program website.
You can use the Program's interactive fire ant map to view a snapshot of recent fire ant detections in Queensland to see fire ant sites near you.
You can also contact Biosecurity Queensland Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23.