Japan tackles invasive fire ants in first colony found this year, in China shipment

Aggressive fire ants rear their heads in Japan for the first time this year, underlining nation’s constant battle to keep invasive alien species at bay

The first fire ants discovered in Japan were at ports in 2017, with the insects apparently entering via shipments from mainland China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia

4-MIN READ4-MIN

Red fire ants. The first fire ants discovered in Japan were at ports in Osaka, Nagoya and Kobe in 2017. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 10:30am, 25 May 2024Updated: 10:40am, 25 May 2024

A colony of more than 1,000 aggressive fire ants has been eradicated after being detected in a shipping container at Yokohama port, the first time the insects have been discovered in Japan this year and underlining Japan’s constant battle to keep invasive alien species at bay.

The ants were discovered last Thursday in an empty container that had been initially unloaded at Tokyo port after arriving on a ship from China. Authorities from the environment ministry said the colony comprised at least 20 queens and more than 1,000 worker ants.

“There is no question that this is becoming a bigger problem every year,” said Dr Koichi Goka, head of the Invasive Species Research Team at the National Institute of Environmental Studies.

“The first fire ants were found in a cargo in 2017 and since then, virtually every month another colony is discovered at a port somewhere in Japan,” he said.

To date, there have been 110 cases reported to the authorities, he said, “but we have been fortunate to find them and quickly eradicate these colonies”.

Authorities in other countries have confirmed that the bite of fire ants can cause anaphylactic shock. Photo: Shutterstock

The first fire ants discovered in Japan were at ports in Osaka, Nagoya and Kobe in 2017, with the insects apparently entering the country via shipments from mainland China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.