ECHIDNA ANTS
AN ANIMAL unique to Australia could be the answer to the devastating populations of yellow crazy ants in the Wet Tropics’ rainforests.
Kuranda resident Rob Richardson’s home and property at Russett Park was overrun with the invasive ants about two years ago.
“You couldn’t stand anywhere without them crawling all over you,” he said. “They were coming into the house.
“They’d climb up the post to the veranda, then trek across the veranda, into the house to collect anything that was either protein or sugar. “They were pretty full on.” Since then, he has credited the hard work of locals in baiting the insects in knocking down the species’ populations.
Recently, however, he noticed another local appeared to be helping control the invasion front: echidnas, burrowing into ant nests in search of food.
“Obviously, it’s satisfying for the echidnas, because they keep coming back to those holes,” Mr Richardson said.
Yellow crazy ants, so called because of their colour and erratic movements, are an aggressive species that spray formic acid to subdue prey and as a defence mechanism – particularly when disturbed.
By forming dense supercolonies, they can easily overpower wildlife and have been known to leave rainforests devoid of other wildlife.
Mr Richardson said he and a neighbour rescued an echidna 18 months ago from the area, after they feared it may have been injured by the ants.
Much to their surprise, the monotreme received a clean bill of health.
“There doesn’t seem to be any negative effect on the echidnas from the ants,” he said. “I don’t know why this is.”
The Wet Tropics Management Authority has been seeking $15 million for a three-year ant eradication program, but state and federal governments have only committed a combined $11.8 million.
The Invasive Species Council has called upon the Queensland Government to provide the $4.5 million funding shortfall.
Kuranda Envirocare president Cathy Retter suggested more echidnas in the area might assist ant control efforts.
“We certainly need to have something to go in and clean up each of the nests individually, now,” she said.