Bull ants have the colloquial name of “Bulldog ants” or “jack jumper ants” and there are approximately 90 species found throughout Australia.
Common Questions regarding Bull Ants (Bull Dog Ants)
How do you get rid of bull ants in Sydney NSW?
1. Direct a pest control technician to where the main nest is outside of your home.
The nest is nearly always found in soil in your yard areas. Nests are sandy large mounds with entry holes at the top.
2. Instruct them to use a low toxic spray that is non-repellent for DIY pest control, with the active ingredient of Fipronil.
3. Instruct them to use non-repellent ant granule with the active ingredient of Fipronil on your driveway and pavers. Our technician demonstrates this step in the video below.
DIY (Do It Yourself) pest control
1. Try mixing borax (you can get it at Coles or Woolworths) or other residual insecticide with sugar to kill bull ants.
2. Mix the borax solution and place baits in plastic containers near their ant trails. The sugar attracts the bull ants and the low toxic insecticide will kill them.
3. Pour boiling water from a kettle down the bulldog ants main nest – Be careful to avoid nasty burns while attempting to eradicate the nest. This may only be a temporary solution as the nests go down deep into the soil and the ants may build up again if the queen survives.
WARNING!
DON’T pour petrol or gas down the nest & set it alight. This is a VERY dangerous and is NOT recommended to destroy a bull ant or bulldog infestation.
Don’t believe all the stories that you often see on the internet or try something stupid like this to get rid of bull ants!
Why am I getting them in my house?
Can bull ants in Sydney hurt you?
Yes, most species in Sydney will deliver painful sting and will even chase people away from the nest.
Bulldog ants can sting repeatedly by gripping enemies with their mandibles (or jaws), curl up their abdomen and sting their victims with painful venom. Often they deliver multiple stings.
Dangerous to humans
These ants are well known to be aggressive and have painful stings.
Ice packs or sting spray are useful to relieve pain. If there are allergic reactions, immediate medical attention by calling 000 should be sought.
How about anaphylaxis?
Some unfortunate people have severe allergic reactions to stings of an insect.
Rarely some victims can react severely to the bites or stings within minutes.
This may lead to a medical condition called anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is always a very serious medical condition and can even be fatal.
Common Symptoms of anaphylaxis:
- Noisy breathing
- Difficulty being understood when talking
- Swollen tongue & lips
- Dizziness or fainting
- Swelling of throat
- Paleness and rapid heart rate
- Wheezing or persistent coughing
- Vomiting or abdominal pains
What if someone is going into anaphylactic shock?
Immediately call “000” for medical advice and an ambulance.
Some victims have a “personal action plan” for severe allergies. Ask these people if they need assistance.
You may help them to administer adrenaline with an autoinjector if available and you are confident you can help.
These autoinjectors are called “EpiPen” or “Anapen”.
What do bull ants eat?
They collect nectar as well as spider and insects, which are transported back to the nest.
Classification
- Genus Myrmecia
- Subfamily Myrmeciinae
- Family Formicidae
- Super Family Vespoidea
- Suborder Apocrita
- Order Hymenoptera
- Class Insecta
- Subphylum Uniramia
- Phylum Arthopoda
- Kingdom Animalia
Bulldog ants are between eight and forty millimetres long and are known to be very aggressive to intruders.
Identification
Bull ants or bulldog ants are one of the largest ant species in Australia and can grow up to 40 millimetres long.
They are well known as a pest in all states of Australia and have a very painful sting.
They are easy to identify as many of the species have bright orange or red markings on the head and thorax areas or abdomens.
There are at least 9 bull ant species that are classed as pests in Sydney NSW.
“Jumper ants” are a smaller species that jump toward intruders as a method of defence.
Habitats
They prefer to nest outdoors in yards or in bushland.
Bull ant nests often may have hidden entrances and project several metres below soil and rock areas.
It’s not that common to find bulldog ant (or bull ant) inside homes.
A1 Pest Control technicians are not just licensed but also have many years of experience in the pest control industry.
We are ready to assess the situation to solve the problem with the best outcome.
