Kapiti Coast residents packed out a hall yesterday to plan an attack on invasive Argentine ants in the town of Raumati.
During the meeting, frustrated locals discussed a low-cost Borax baiting method, took part in a baiting workshop and made a commitment to holding community baiting days for maximum impact this spring.
Raumati South Residents Association spokesperson Guy Burns said residents told him they'd found ants in cars and even in a dishwasher, during the peak of summer.
The honey brown ant species that lives in large colonies was first found in Auckland in 1990 during a rehearsal for the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony at Mt Smart Stadium, Landcare Research reports on its website.
They're now widespread in many spots around the North Island and several areas of the South Island, including Christchurch, it says.
The dry, sandy soils of the area mixed with Kapiti's warmer climate and a hot summer made "perfect-storm" conditions for the Argentine ant to take over, he said.
Another resident told Mr Burns when he tried to cut a branch down to stop the ants entering his home, they quickly swarmed over his arm and he had to have a shower to remove them, he said.
"People were seriously affected by it, someone mentioned some old peoples' well-being being seriously affected and there was a sense of helplessness," he said.
"People were doing the normal baiting things and nothing was happening, it was seriously bad in central Raumati South."
Raumati South Residents Association member Jenny Scott said the invader is one of the five worst invasive ant species in the world.
Department of Conservation technical advisor Chris Green said Argentine ants are a significant pest for the country's natural biodiversity.
"I've eradicated a population of around ten hectares on Tiritiri Matangi Island… this took 13 years of testing new techniques," he said.
"They out-compete a whole variety of other invertebrates.
"They kill outright a lot of native invertebrates, then they start killing lizards, frogs, even nesting birds, so they're quite capable of being extremely damaging."
Residents need to lay bait to attract the ants around the outside perimeter of homes and the perimeter of properties, Mr Green said.
He said getting rid of every last ant is a major challenge and then there’s the possibility of reinvasion.
The Department of Conservation has an ongoing surveillance and control programme for the ants in conservation land, but in residential areas it's up to councils and residents to manage them.
A Ministry for Primary Industries spokesperson said it doesn't have any long-term role in management for the ant as it's already well-established.
As visible ant colonies are now reducing as the temperatures drop, the community decided there was no point in holding mass baiting days until after winter.
Mr Burns said the Residents Association would meet over the next few days to discuss timing of the eradication programme.
"It became clear we're not going to eradicate them but can knock them back and reduce numbers," he said.
A Greater Wellington Regional Council spokesperson gave Argentine ant management information at the meeting.
Mr Burns says the Residents Association is disappointed the Kapiti Coast District Council hasnt acted on a past request to put basic information about Argentine ants on its website to help residents.
The council has been approached for comment.
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