Two Nelson residents believe they may have come up with a cost-effective and long-term solution for controlling Argentine ants in the region, using bait made from just sugar, water and borax.
But, they say it will only work if the whole community gets behind their idea.
Dr Kay Sneddon and Andrew Goldsworthy have teamed up to develop the bait, which is based on a similar project carried out in California where Argentine ants are regarded as the number one pest.
They say the key to the bait’s effectiveness is using a low concentration of borax, a household product, which is a natural salt and has a low level of toxicity. It is not poisonous to animals or humans in low concentrations as long as precautions are taken.
“Borax has been used to combat ants for ages – it’s not new, but what is new is the concentration,” says Kay.
“People used to use it in very high concentrations, but it would kill the working ants straight away so wouldn’t have a chance to bring the bait back to kill the queens, which is what we need to do. But this low dose bait will allow the worker ants to return to the nest with the bait and get it into the colonies.”
Andrew says the reason Argentine ants have established themselves so strongly in Nelson is because they have multiple queens and form ‘supercolonies.’
And it’s a problem which Nelsonians risk “turning a blind eye to.”
They both say the ants are very concentrated in parts of Nelson, especially The Wood and Panorama Drive, but are widely found in the region and can be spread in potting mix.
Some believe that they could even get into the beech forests, where they could potentially cause an even greater risk.
“I think we’ve only just woken up to the fact that they’ve landed,” he says.
“As the Council’s handout warns us, they have the potential to eradicate every other type of ant, earthworms, invertebrates and nestlings. They could get into orchards and vineyards, and if they’re hungry enough, they’ve even been known to damage the irrigation.”
Andrew says the first step is to get the support of the Nelson community and bring as many people on board as possible.
“The solution is a community one,” he says.
“We need to find ways to distribute the bait as cheaply and strategically as possible around the infested areas.”
They are hoping to organise an ‘ant month’ in the springtime when they will hold ‘mixing parties’ to get whole streets on board and encourage the community to put bait jars down simultaneously.
“It only takes one or two households to resist and you don’t get rid of the infestation, it just stays there and will spread out again. The ants can advance 160 metres a year.”
Andrew says they are currently trialling versions of the bait locally, and they hope to hold a meeting in Tahunanui soon to see if there is support for a strategy to tackle the problem in a new and more effective way.
“You have to think of it as a war, not a battle,” says Andrew.
“The ants only landed here in 2001 and have been on the march since, but we have the opportunity to try to knock them back. In 10 years time we won’t have the opportunity to do anything – now we still have hope.”
If you are interested in finding out more, please contact Judy at Tahunanui Community Centre on (03) 548 6036 or look out for the Centre’s updates on Facebook and Neighbourly.
