Fire ants

Fire ants are aggressive and have a painful sting. Originally from South America, they are in parts of the Gold Coast. These pests swarm when their nests are disturbed and will sting.

The National Fire Ant Eradication Program leads the efforts to find, contain and destroy fire ants in South East Queensland. We support the Program by:

  • reporting fire ant nests to the state government
  • treating Council-managed land to reduce risks to the community and environment.

We need everyone's help to get rid of fire ants in our community. While fire ants are small, they could destroy our outdoor lifestyle by making our backyards, playgrounds and parks unusable.

Fire ant map

Use the fire ant map to view a snapshot of recent fire ant detections in Queensland. You can browse the interactive map to see fire ant sites near you.

The 2023-24 fire ant treatment season is underway. Parts of the Gold Coast are scheduled to be treated by the Program over the coming months and they need access to all targeted properties. If your property is in the treatment area you should have received notification by mail. Fire ant eradication requires containment and treatment of all targeted properties, whether fire ants are visible or not. One missed fire ant nest could jeopardise national eradication efforts.

To find out more, visit Fire ant treatment program.

Report fire ants

If you do find fire ants on your property, please make sure you report them within 24 hours.

Report fire ants

To learn more about this pest and how to control it, visit Fire ants. You can also contact Biosecurity Queensland Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23.