🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <MwY7a.1609$Xh1.6853@news-server.bigpond.net.au>, 
"Graham" <eat_your@spam.com> wrote:

"Don H" <donlhumphries@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:CAP7a.57549$jM5.145567@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
> As reported in "The Age" (28th Feb 2003), alien "crazy ants" are 
marching
> across Australia, spitting formic acid and causing chaos.
>
> The current solution is use of poison, which has been somewhat 
effective
on
> Christmas Island - so stopping the decline of red land crabs.
>
> My own idea for eradication or reduction is - use of an artificial 
"ant
> eater" (a vacuum cleaner), called ACME, "Ant Colony Mechanical
Eradicator",
> which park rangers, etc could apply whenever they came across a 
colony.
It
> would ingest, digest, and egest; as a mulch.  Electric-powered from 
a
diesel
> generator on back of a utility vehicle.
>
> Any other ideas, for a non-poison solution to the problem?
> ===============================================
>Steam injection works like magic and can be very portable with small units
>being made from a standard domestic pressure cooker, good sized burner and
>LP gas.

[Sorry if this looks a bit awkward, but the sig in your top post cut 
the original article out of my attempted followup, so I had to resort 
to this cut and paste approach.]

Question:  Was "The Age" really talking about Crazy Ants?
There was an infestation of these around the port area of Cairns 
fairly recently; but last I heard they were assumed to be under good 
control if not actually eradicated by now.  Have they now turned up 
somewhere else?

The really big outbreak causing much concern is the Fire Ant 
infestation in suburban Brisbane and environs.  This is a very nasty 
creature which could mean the end of backyard playgrounds and 
barbecues in much of Australia if not eradicated.  Over 1000 
properties spread over 42,000 hectares are infested by the beasts
<http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fireants/8069.html>.

Go to <http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fireants/> for links to a lot of info 
about the eradication project etc. -- and have a squiz at the arm of 
the poor bloke who's been "feeding" them!



Cheers, Phred.

-- 
ppnerkDELETE@THISyahoo.com.INVALID