Australian authorities express fears of fire ant invasion

Australian environmental authorities on Thursday expressed fears about a plague of fire ants that have been sweeping down the east coast of the country.

The ant plague started in Brisbane in 2001 after arriving in a ship, but over the past 13 years the insects have defied a 175 million Australian dollars (142.32 million U.S. dollars) eradication campaign in Brisbane, and the pests are heading south.

More than 600 Sydney homes will be searched this weekend by expert wildlife inspectors who fear an invasion of fire ants, which can kill native wildlife and pets, and are dangerous to children.

Invasive Species Council chief executive Andrew Cox says the outbreak poses a threat.

"It's going to be a disaster for the environment, and it's going to transform our way of life," he told Fairfax Media.

"They will take over open areas, grassy areas, and you won't be able to walk around with thongs (flip-flops) anymore for large parts of Australia."

The aggressive South American ants also destroy plant life, and establish colonies of large nests and can take over vegetable gardens, parks and backyards, meaning children can't play in them, and people can't walk dogs in infested areas.

Their bite causes severe stinging, and they can swarm over their targets and leave them feeling like they are on fire -- hence their name.

Several nests were detected in a small area around the Botany Bay part of Sydney a week ago, and wildlife authorities want to search homes in the area in the hope of finding and eradicating any such ant they find.

The United States experienced an invasion of them in the 1930s, and its authorities now spend 7 billion U.S. dollars each year trying to control them.

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