Biosecurity Response to the Red Imported Fire Ant

The Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) was first detected in New Zealand in Napier in June 2006. RIFA poses a serious biosecurity threat as it decimates flora and fauna, has environmental impacts and effect on domestic animals and pets and delivers a nasty sting which poses a serious threat to human health. As the delivery arm of MAF Biosecurity New Zealand, AsureQuality was at the front line in containing this outbreak.

Response actions provided by AsureQuality

Within hours of the nest being discovered, Field Operation Response Team (FORT) headquarters was set up on site. Movement restrictions on certain goods and vehicles were imposed. Just hours after notification, the nest was eradicated and wide area surveillance, tracing and treatment was initiated.

Field Staff

Operations manager and workstream managers
GIS Analysts
Logistics Management
Movement Control
Tracing Specialists
Surveillance Teams
Organism Management
Aerial bait applications
Screening laboratory

Ongoing response

Continued monitoring of the site has included annual trapping surveys (up to 250,000 bait traps in a 2km radius)
420 pitfall traps
On-going monitoring fortnightly within 200m of nest
Continued 'organism management' on site including aerial bait applications twice yearly in difficult to access areas.

Current

The programme was completed in June 2009 after no further positive trap or monitoring results were found.

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