Collect and photograph some dead ants

Be aware that fire ants will attack and sting if disturbed. To safely collect a sample or take photos, follow these instructions.

You will need latex gloves, a can of household insect spray, a long stick and some tissues.

• put the latex gloves on, stand well back and gently prod the edge of the nest with the stick
• if they are fire ants, they will run up the stick towards you
• quickly spray the ants on the stick with the insect spray and move away from the nest
• gently wipe the sprayed ants onto a tissue
• make sure they are dead - spray again if they are still moving
• photograph the dead ants on the tissue and submit the photos with the online form or email them to invasive.species@dpi.nsw.gov.au
• put the dead ants and tissue into a small container or plastic bag, in case NSW DPI wants to check them
• don't spray the rest of the nest with insect spray - this won't kill the whole nest and will cause the ants to move and spread.

Hundreds of ants will come out of a nest if disturbed. This video has no audio.

This video has no audio.