![]() In fact, experts say that it’s hard to positively identify the offending insect unless you actually catch it in the act. Unfortunately, experience shows us that almost all bug bites look strikingly similar. Have a nasty bite you can’t attribute to a specific house bug or outdoor pest? We’re sharing bug bite pictures to help you properly identify the offender, and how to best treat the wound. And often, you haven’t the slightest clue which critter could have been the culprit. Some ache, some beg to be scratched, and the worst of the bunch do both. "If we are unable to contain fire ants, and they were to spread further, we are looking at the potential of hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars to the Australian public each and every year moving forward.Whether you first notice a sharp pinch, a nagging itch, or a painful sting, discovering a brand-new bug bite-sometimes instantly, but often only days later-is no fun. "What the report has called out is that if we don't make that further investment, the impacts of fire ants will continue to increase," he said. NRIFAEP acting director Ashley Bacon said the program had proposed an "enhanced response plan" off the back of the report. "There may also have been concerns about scaring the public on the dangers of RIFA and the potential for awareness of RIFA infestations to impact land values, industry and tourism." 'Enhanced response plan' It said the government was "clearly focused broadscale agricultural treatment" rather than urban control. It also said the steering committee had endorsed a communications campaign "emphasising RIFA risks", as well as information on how to identity, report and treat fire ants.īut that messaging was "watered down" in a "cumbersome multi-government" approval. "In the longer term, eradication may eventually be feasible, but will only be achieved with major changes in program scope, strategy, budget and governance, as well as new technologies." It found NRIFAEP management and the steering committee "have been continually forced to make budget-driven decisions, which have prioritised efficiency over effectiveness". ![]() "This shows an accelerating build-up of RIFA infestations in the residual area, causing increased community concern and greater risks, especially to children, pets and all outdoor workers, of severe stings, allergies and anaphylaxis," the report found. Written in August 2021 - four years into the program to eradicate the ant - the report found the risk of the ants breaching the border is increasing, with some urban populations at their highest level in more than 20 years. The "super pest" has been confined to south-east Queensland since its discovery in 2001, but has crept 10 kilometres southwards between 20, according to a report into the 10-year National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program (NRIFAEP).Ĭommonwealth and state governments received the report almost two years ago, but only released it today.
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