Invasion of the killer ants
2005-01-27 12:40
Hong Kong - Hong Kong officials were on Thursday trying to contain a suspected invasion of potentially deadly red fire ants from mainland China.
The super-aggressive and fast-spreading species of ant, originating from tropical South America, is thought to have entered Hong Kong inside potted plants imported for the Chinese New Year festival.
Ten mounds believed to have been built by the red fire ants have been found in Hong Kong's rural New Territories near the Chinese border and hundreds of officials were on Thursday checking for more colonies.
Red fire ants are already a major menace in the southern United States where farmers and homeowners spend tens of millions of US a year on pesticides to control them.
The ants deliver a sharp sting which can be lethal for anyone with an allergy to stings or to young children or old people, experts say.
Warnings
Controls on imported plants from mainland China have now been speedily introduced to try to prevent the spread of the ants in Hong Kong and a territory-wide inspection was launched on Thursday.
Health secretary York Chow told reporters after inspecting the ant colonies that he believed the insects had been introduced to Hong Kong inside potted plants imported from China.
"This is a new species of ant to Hong Kong and we need to assess how this will affect our ecology," he said, adding that all government departments were checking for ant colonies.
Invasive species expert Dr Billy Hau of the University of Hong Kong said: "In comparison with other ants this one is quite aggressive and they attack human beings and other animals by a sting rather than a bite.
"The sting produces a burning pain and that is why they are called fire ants. If you accidentally step on a mound and disturb a nest, you can get 100 or so ants on your body and each one will repeatedly sting you.
"You can receive up to 100 to 200 times in a couple of seconds ... and to some people who are allergic to animal chemicals, it could be lethal."
Dr Hau said Hong Kong should launch an awareness campaign and try to eradicate the menace before the weather warmed up and the ants' breeding season began.
Government experts were on Thursday still waiting to verify that the ants found are red fire ants. The insects have already been found in Guangdong in southern China and Taiwan. - dpa
- SAPA