It's vicious and aggressive. When it stings you, the burning sensation can last for an hour and within hours a white blister appears. The Red Fire Ant from Brazil. It's spread through New Zealand, Australia and United States. Now it's been confirmed that it's infested least four large areas of Taiwan.
In recent days fire anthills have been found in the centre of capital, Taipei, and the authorities have been spurred into . Taiwan's Premier has urged people not to panic and them how to protect their children.
Agricultural experts suspect red fire ants were brought into Taipei in the of potted plants or landscaping material. They warn it take years to eradicate the pests. They describe this a war of attrition.
The ants are blamed for of five-billion dollars in the United States each year more than six-and-a-half-billion in Australia. Extra stocks of pesticide been ordered by Taiwan's government. It hopes to contain spread of the insects by the end of the . Complete eradication, which some doubt is even possible, is to take much longer.