Lord Howe Island is home to endangered Australian native animals like the Lord Howe Island Woodhen and plants only found on the island.
Its rare ecosystem includes cloud forests, sea-cliffs, volcanic mountains and the world’s most southerly coral reef.
CSIRO Researcher and exotic ant specialist, Dr Ben Hoffmann, was part of the team responsible for the eradication and said the program was one of the most significant invasive ant eradications in the world, comparable to ant eradications on Marchena Island in the Galapagos and in Kakadu National Park.
“Invasive ants pose a huge threat to Australia’s diverse plant and animal life, our agriculture and our economy and it’s estimated that governments will spend around $500 million over the next 10 years attempting to control or eradicate them,” Dr Hoffmann said.
“Ants are among the most abundant and diverse fauna in the world, and play an important role in ecosystem health. However, invasive ants cause harm to local ant species which can have devastating impacts to local ecosystems.”
The African big-headed ant is listed as one of the 100 worst pests in the world, known for creating super colonies that outcompete and prey on native animals, reducing animal abundance by up to 85 per cent.
On Hawaii, the ant is thought to have caused the extinction of several species.
A ground team from the Lord Howe Island Board used a special protocol developed by CSIRO to map and bait the invasive ant colonies.
Click here to read more.