Register now for Argentine ant workshops

Northlanders keen to learn more about the aggressive Argentine ant – and how best to tackle it – are being urged to register now for one of three free workshops.

The three-hour workshops in Whangarei, Kerikeri and Kaitaia will be run by the Northland Regional Council early next month.

"While Argentine ants are a big problem in Northland, they can be controlled – but you need to know how to deal with them properly as they’re not like other ants,” organiser Steve Henderson says.

“For example, people can inadvertently create new nests by using the wrong ant control product, fuelling the problem instead of fixing it.

Mr Henderson, a biosecurity officer with the regional council, says the workshops will involve one of New Zealand’s leading Argentine ant experts, and will cover identification of the small, pale-brown ants, surveillance, how to kill the pests, and how to prevent them spreading.

“There are some simple things Northlanders can do to stop this pest spreading into unaffected areas, so the workshop is valuable even if you don’t yet have problems with the ant.”

The Argentine ant, which is reportedly one of the 100 most invasive species on earth, threatens our native insects, lizards and native birds by either attacking them or competing for the same food sources.

The Whangarei workshop will run on Tuesday 06 December from 9am to noon at NorthTec on Raumanga Valley Rd (room F410) and the Kerikeri workshop from 2-5pm the same day at the Kerikeri Cruising Club, Opito Bay Rd.

A workshop will also be held in Kaitaia at the Department of Conservation office at 25 Matthews Ave, from 9am to noon on Wednesday 07 December.

Mr Henderson says up to 30 people will be able to attend each of those sessions, but with a good level of interest already shown, he’s urging potential attendees to pre-register quickly for the workshops to avoid missing out.

People keen to register should contact Steve Henderson at the Northland Regional Council on (0800) 002 004.

More information on the Argentine ant - and other pests in Northland - is available from the council’s website at: www.nrc.govt.nz/nasties