I think ANT AMNESTY would be the humane response.
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Australia invaded by 'invincible ant' that attacks everything in its path
By Kathy Marks in Sydney
20 October 2001
The South American fire ant, which packs a potentially lethal
sting, will cause an environmental catastrophe if allowed to
spread, Queensland state authorities in Australia warned
yesterday.
The ants were first spotted in the Queensland capital,
Brisbane, earlier this year and have already been found at 730
sites. They could colonise Australia in the next three decades.
They already destroy £1bn of crops every year in the United
States.
Scientists at the Department of Primary Industries, horrified by
the discovery of a pest that they regard as worse than the
infamous cane toad, have begun a £50m eradication
programme nicknamed "the Big Nuke". Over the next three
years, 500 volunteers will blanket the area with bait laced with
a chemical that inhibits reproduction.
The tiny, reddish-brown ants, which are thought to have arrived
in Brisbane on board a container ship, attack humans,
livestock, pets, native animals and crops. An aggressive and
resilient species, they sting repeatedly and in concert, causing
pimple-like spots and an intense burning sensation – hence
their name.
In rare cases, the sting provokes an allergic reaction that can
kill. In the southern United States, infested since the 1930s, 84
people have died.
The ants represent a threat to Australia's outdoors way of life.
Activities such as camping and barbecues are out of the
question in affected areas; even sitting in the back garden with
a book can be a painful experience. In some American states,
schools, parks and sports fields have had to be closed.
Keith McCubbin, head of the eradication programme, said:
"This ant is one of the meanest, most evil creatures that God
ever put on Earth. It hates every other living thing, and pours
out of its nest ready to fight. If it can't be stopped in
Queensland, it will be in the backyards of Sydney and
Melbourne in the near future.
"If that happens, there'll come a time when a lot of us won't be
able to have barbecues and picnics, or garden, or mow the
lawn. And we won't be wearing thongs [flip-flops] anymore," he
added.
The fear is that the insects – whose Latin name is Solenopsis
invicta, or invincible ant – will spread around the country by
hitching lifts on vehicles transporting plants and soil. A nest
was recently discovered in a truckload of palms sent to
Victoria from an infected nursery in Brisbane.