Fire Ants Use 'Flood Rafts' to Colonise New Territories in Australia

Invasive species pose a significant threat to native wildlife, agriculture, and humans amid recent torrential rain and flooding.

Fire ants are forming 'flood rafts' to spread across storm-ravaged Australia, colonising new territories and posing a serious threat to native wildlife, agriculture, and humans.
The ants, originally from South America, have been confined to south-eastern Queensland and a slither of New South Wales, but recent torrential rain and flooding are allowing them to expand their range.
Fire ants are more active before or after rainfall and can form large floating rafts which move with water currents to establish footholds in new areas.
The Invasive Species Council has called on locals in south eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales to be on high alert and report fire ant sightings.
Australia has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to the fight against the creatures, with the Invasive Species Council hoping that the species can eventually be wiped out with a 10-year eradication programme.