By ANNE BESTON
Biosecurity authorities have stopped a tiny nasty in its tracks through a programme designed to catch another of the same species.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has treated two sites at Auckland's port infested with crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis) and yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes).
The finds,
on Jellicoe and Freyberg Wharves, were made during intensive surveillance work for another, even nastier ant, the red fire ant.
MAF's exotic animal response co-ordinator, Amelia Pascoe, said the crazy ant finds occurred in an area where recently imported goods were stored before being given biosecurity clearance.
The areas were subject to intensive surveillance and bait programmes to look for the red fire ant but the fact crazy ants were found proved the programme was working, Ms Pascoe said.
"It's encouraging that to date no red fire ants have been found and the fact we have a new find in our hands goes to show how valuable the surveillance programme is," she said.
Crazy ants are named for their rapid and erratic movement but they are an environmental pest and feed on a wide range of plants including fruit, honeydew and household foods.
Although they don't bite humans they can swarm over animals, causing severe irritation.
On-going monitoring would determine if any more of the ants had breached the border but MAF was cautiously optimistic the infestation had been wiped out at an early stage.
Red fire ants, discovered at Auckland Airport last year, are one of the nastiest of the ant species because their bites can cause blisters on human skin.
They are aggressive and voracious feeders and could displace native ant populations.
