‘Going to get worse’: red fire ants detected in Queensland's Scenic Rim

Pests could cost the state in billions if the spread continues, Invasive Species Council warns

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One of the world's worst invasive pests, red fire ants, have been detected outside a containment zone in Queensland's scenic rim.

The ants, destroyers of crops and harbingers of doom for many forms of outdoor recreation, are considered a potential $45bn problem should they become widely established in Queensland.