Biosecurity officers at Perth Airport recently discovered some unwanted pests when they inspected a parcel of personal effects sent from Thailand.
They were alerted by an Australia Post staff member who spotted an ant crawling on the outside of the parcel. What they found inside was a large number of exotic tramp ants (Monomorium salomonis). Tramp ants are a diverse group of invasive and aggressive species not present in Australia that have established widely across the globe.
The biosecurity officers treated the parcel and the surrounding area. After wrapping the parcel in plastic, they kept it under surveillance for the rest of the day to ensure no other ants had escaped, after which they issued a direction to treat the goods with fumigation.
Tramp ants are a diverse group of aggressive, invasive ant species that can rapidly establish and spread if introduced. If undetected, infestations could spread quickly and lead to damage of our $60 billion agricultural industry. They pose a huge risk to our environment and way of life and represent a significant biosecurity risk to Australia.
Tramp ants can reduce species diversity and modify habitat structure, and have the potential to severely impact human health and social amenity.
- Several species of tramp ants have painful stings which can cause anaphylactic shock in some people.
- Pets, livestock, and native animals may also be severely affected by bites and stings.
- Ants may eat plants and chew through electrical insulation, and their nest building can damage machinery and buildings.
Infestations may also impact on agriculture and forestry. Some species farm sap-sucking scale insects for honeydew. This can lead to larger infestations of pests on host plants, resulting in their death. This also increases the risk of disease being transmitted to plants through these insect vectors.
If you are an importer or work around goods arriving from overseas, including mail, you need to be vigilant to tramp ants and other exotic pests. If you see an unusual pest, secure the goods to limit the movement of the insect and immediately report it either to your Customs Broker, or direct to the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
