Conducting luring factsheet
What you are looking for
• Small, copper coloured ants that range in size
from 2–6 mm.
Not to scale
• Ants that exhibit aggressive behaviour.
• Nests that vary in size and have no visible entry
and exit holes.
Conducting fire ant luring
Temperature plays a big part in when fire ant luring
can be conducted as fire ants will not forage for food
if it is too hot or too cold.
• If luring in summer, spring or autumn: avoid
the hottest part of the day and lure before 10am
or after 3 pm.
• If luring in winter: lure in the warmest part of the
day between 11 am and 3 pm.
Luring steps
(1)
Luring is usually undertaken when it is difficult to
conduct visual surveillance. For example on large
piles of mulch, manure, bark, or hay stacks.
Note: Luring should be undertaken if storing
these materials for more than 28 days. Luring
should then be undertaken every 28 days.
Not to scale
Create lures by using a cardboard rectangle
approximately 5 x 10 cm in size and dabbing
half a teaspoon of smooth peanut butter at
one end of the cardboard (see image below).
Correct
Too little
Too much
(2)
Place lure on the ground, in a shady position
that is easy to access. Where hay bales are
stacked, lures may also be positioned in the
stack at about head height.
(10) Fill out a sample submission form and place
this form in the larger bag along with the
individually bagged lures.
(11) Place the large bag containing the individually
bagged lures in the freezer for at least 24
hours. This will ensure that the ants are dead.
Alternatively, an aerosol knock down
insecticide spray could be sprayed to kill the
ants.
(12) Send the bag and the sample submission
form to Biosecurity Queensland, PO Box
1241, Oxley Qld 4075.
(13) Biosecurity Queensland will contact you with
the identification of the ants you collected.
You should not move the materials until then.
(3)
Place lures 5 m apart around the perimeter of
the materials.
How to record your luring activities
(4)
The lures need to be in place for a one hour
period. During this time, check them twice to
see if there are any ants.
(5)
If any ants are found on the lure, bag the lure
and replace.
(6)
Using a zip lock bag, use one hand to hold the
bag open next to the lure on the ground.
Who conducts the luring
(7)
Use the other hand to pick the lure up with
minimal disturbance so that the ants do not
fall off.
(8)
Ensure each lure is placed in its own bag.
(9)
Double bag the lures in a larger zip locked
bag (see image below).
This luring needs to be undertaken by a person who
is competent in the identification of fire ants and
their nests. Free training for the identification of fire
ants is provided by Biosecurity Queensland.
Training details are available through the Fire ant
training factsheet.
It’s important to record your luring activities. You
can record them in a way that suits your business
practices or there are templates available online.
Biosecurity Queensland inspectors will audit these
records, so they should be retained for seven years.
Further information
For more information, or if you would like specific
advice about how to keep your business fire ant
free, contact a Biosecurity Queensland inspector on
13 25 23.