Writings: Newly detected fire ant nests are the constantly advancing front of the invasion: not 'outliers', says Biosecurity Queensland's own research.

Biosecurity Queensland commissioned Monash University researchers to evaluate the eradication program. In 2013, they reported the southern and western boundaries of the (fire ant) invasion advanced at a steady rate, advancing towards the Gold Coast, Scenic Rim and Lockyer Valley, and there has always been an infested area outside Biosecurity Queensland’s operational area. Biosecurity Queensland’s ‘outlier’ protocol, dating from 2001, intended to cut costs and reduce the appearance of the extent of the invasion, has contributed to the program’s failure. All historical ‘outliers’ are now well inside the known infested area. 27th May 2018



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In 2011, Biosecurity Queensland commissioned Monash University researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of the eradication program. In July 2013, they said:  

  • The incursion in Brisbane’s southwest continues more than 12 year after the program began.
  • the southern and western boundaries of the invasion advanced at a steady rate, even though fewer nests were being reported
  • There has always been an infested area outside the searched and treated areas.
  • Immature nests outnumbered mature nests at almost every stage of the invasion. Destroying immature nests is at least as important as destroying mature nests, but many are too small to detect.
  • Newly infested areas contain only immature nests, so the total infested area is larger than the area containing mature nests.
  • By December 2011, the infested region was double what it had been in 2004 with the invasion boundaries still advancing to the south towards the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim and west into the Lockyer Valley.

The protocol to identify new detections outside the program’s operational area as ‘outliers’ began as early as 2001 (see map) to:

  • Minimise costs. Extending the boundary of the whole infestation with each new detection would significantly increase the size of the infested area and the cost to treat it.
  • Minimise the appearance of extent of the infestation in reports to the commonwealth and other state and territory governments that are paying for the program: to keep the funding coming.

Biosecurity Queensland’s outlier protocol has significant contributed to the program’s failure. All historical ‘outliers’ are all now well and truly absorbed into the the main area of the infestation.