Landowners are responsible for taking all reasonable and practical steps to minimise the risks associated with invasive animals under their control. This is known as the general biosecurity obligation (GBO). Your local government and Biosecurity Queensland provide pest animal control support services but may also enforce landowner responsibilities if necessary.

Prohibited invasive animals

Prohibited invasive animals:

• are not found in Queensland
• would seriously threaten Queensland's primary industries, natural environment, native wildlife, and human and animal welfare
• include all mammals, reptiles and amphibians except animals native to Australia, 28 animals listed as permitted and those listed as restricted invasive animals.

If you see or find a prohibited animal in Queensland, you must report it to Biosecurity Queensland within 24 hours of the sighting. You must take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise the risk of it escaping until you receive advice from an authorised officer.

Restricted invasive animals

Restricted invasive animals:

• are established in Queensland
• seriously threaten Queensland's primary industries, natural environment, native wildlife, and human and animal welfare.

Under the Biosecurity Act 2014, there are 7 categories of restricted matter (i.e. restricted matter may include matter such as plants, animal diseases, noxious fish, inspects pest animals and weeds). Restricted invasive animals may fall into 1, a combination or all of categories 2 to 6 (listed below).

Under each category, the restricted invasive animal has listed restrictions. The specific restriction requirements also apply to a person when dealing with restricted invasive animals unless they have a restricted matter permit.

Restricted invasive animal categories and restrictions:

• Category 2: the invasive animal must be reported within 24 hours to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.
• Category 3: the invasive animal must not be distributed either by sale or gift, or released into the environment.
• Category 4: the invasive animal must not be moved.
• Category 5: the invasive animal must not be kept.
• Category 6: the invasive animal must not be fed.

Invasive animals

Invasive animals are not prohibited or restricted invasive animals.

Everyone is obligated to take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise the risks associated with invasive animals under their control.

Exhibiting animals in Queensland

In Queensland you will need a licence or permit under the Exhibited Animals Act 2015 if you plan to exhibit animals (including declared animals). Read more about exhibiting animals in Queensland.

Control activities and animal welfare law

The Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 allows for the control of feral animals or pest (invasive) animals as long as it causes the animal as little pain as is reasonable and complies with animal welfare laws.

Control activities should result in the direct death of an animal (e.g. by shooting or poisoning), or initial live capture (e.g. using foot-hold traps) followed by humane destruction. When euthanising an animal, you must check that it is dead before leaving the site.

All control options suggested in this guide comply with Queensland's animal welfare laws.

Read more about the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001.

Movement controls to prevent spread of fire ants and electric ants

Fire ants and electric ants are category 1 restricted pests under the Biosecurity Act 2014. Suspect ants must be reported to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.

Everyone, including commercial operators and residents, has a general biosecurity obligation to take measures to reduce the risk of spreading these ants.

Biosecurity zones are in place to restrict the movement of material that could carry fire ants or electric ants.

Also consider...

• Read the Biosecurity Act 2014.
• Learn more about animal welfare laws in Queensland.
• Read about animal welfare for wild dogs.
• Learn about electric ant biosecurity zones and movement controls.

Taking a proactive approach to pest animal control is generally much better than waiting for problems to occur. Deciding on a pest management strategy early allows you to plan your activities and allocate a budget for dealing with your pest animal problems.

Doing nothing may save you money in the short term, but your property may suffer from pest animal impacts, which may cost you in the long term. You may also face penalties for non-compliance with pest animal control laws.

Choosing a pest management strategy

To make cost-effective business decisions on pest animal control, you need to gather information on:

• the size of the pest animal problem on your property and how much it is costing you
• total costs of available pest animal control methods and likely benefits of each, including time-frames.

Based on this information, you can perform a simple cost-benefit analysis on various pest management strategies for your pest animal problem. This may help you decide which of the broad strategies described below is best for your business.

Planned, ongoing management

Planned, ongoing pest management strategies have high initial and ongoing costs. Yet, this approach is also likely to deliver long-term benefits with reduced pest animal numbers and impacts.

Local eradication

If you have a small property with a well-defined pest animal problem, you may consider local eradication strategies. This approach has high initial costs but limited ongoing costs as only monitoring will be required. If successful, local eradication can deliver long-term benefits for your property.

Crisis management

If pest animal numbers are high and their impacts are obvious, you may decide to implement crisis management strategies. This approach has high initial costs but no ongoing costs. You will probably reduce pest animal impacts in the short term, but long-term benefits are unlikely.

Also consider...

• Visit the PestSmart YouTube channel (CRC) for practical instructions on a range of pest animal control methods.
• Find out more about feral pig control methods and strategies.
• Learn about wild dog control or read our wild dog fact sheets for more information.
• Learn about the codes of practice and procedures for the human capture, handling or destruction of feral animals in Australia.

Although landowners are not required to develop a property pest-management plan, effective planning is an extremely useful management tool.

Benefits of planning

Developing a pest management plan will help you:

• effectively control pest animals on your property
• comply with pest animal control laws to show you are meeting your general biosecurity obligations
• integrate pest animal control activities with weed control activities and other components of your property plan
• coordinate pest animal control activities with your neighbours
• improve efficiency by prioritising control activities using resources at optimal times
• monitor how well control activities are working and communicate achievements.

Developing and implementing a property pest management plan

Plan

Generally, a property pest management plan involves both maps and written information. Your plan should:

• give background information on property and ownership details
• include a property map to help in analysing pest animal-related risks for your property
• define the pest animal problems on your property
• assess risks and identify priorities for pest animal control
• set overall goals and specific targets and describe the actions that you plan to undertake to achieve them
• describe how you plan to monitor your progress and measure your success.

You should also seek input from neighbours and pest animal control experts on your draft plan.

Act

Implement the control activities outlined in your plan within the set time frame and budget.

Check

You need to monitor your control activities and their effect on pest animal populations on your property.

Review

The information gathered from monitoring will help you evaluate how successful you have been in implementing control activities and meeting your targets. You can then review your plan and make necessary changes to future pest animal control activities.

Also consider...

• Learn more about pest management planning.
• Visit the PestSmart YouTube channel (CRC) for practical instructions on a range of pest animal control methods.
• Learn about the codes of practice and procedures for the human capture, handling or destruction of feral animals in Australia.

Successful long-term pest animal control on your property relies on cooperation with neighbours and coordination of pest management planning and control activities.

Integrated pest management recognises that in many situations, effective, long-term control of pest animals is best achieved by combining several complementary control methods.

Your local government and Biosecurity Queensland can provide expertise and technical support services to help you choose the best control method. Control methods may include:

• chemical control – using pesticides and insecticides to control pest animals
• physical control – using mechanical tools, equipment, and machinery to capture, exclude or destroy pest animals
• biological control – using animal-specific diseases to control pest animal populations or protecting livestock with guardian animals.

Also consider...

• Read the A-Z lists of pest animals, which include information on how to control particular animal species.
• Learn about wild dog control or read our wild dog fact sheets for more information.
• Find out more about feral pig control methods and strategies.
• Visit the PestSmart YouTube channel (CRC) for practical instructions on a range of pest animal control methods.

Some chemicals can be hazardous to people and both domestic and native animals. You must always follow the directions on the label when using chemicals.

Baiting

Baiting with pesticides can be the most cost-effective option for reducing large pest animal populations. Follow-up using physical control methods can further reduce pest animal numbers and limit their capability of quickly reinvading.

Different chemicals may be used for particular invasive animals in certain situations.

1080 (sodium fluoroacetate)

1080 is:

• registered for the control of wild dogs, feral pigs, feral cats, foxes and wild rabbits in Queensland
• a restricted chemical product also known as an S7 poison.

The possession, supply, storage and disposal of S7 poisons is regulated under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 and associated regulations and other Queensland Health regulations.

The use of S7 poisons in relation to label or permit instructions is regulated under the Chemical Usage (Agricultural and Veterinary) Control Act 1988 and its associated regulations.

S7 poisons must always be used in accordance with the product label directions or the conditions of an APVMA minor use permit. Contact your local government for more information about the invasive animal baiting service provided by your local government.

Pindone

Pindone is registered for the control of rabbits in Queensland. Pindone is best used near settled areas where 1080 would be inappropriate; it is not recommended for broadacre use. Pindone is commercially available as pre-prepared oat bait from agricultural suppliers.

Fire ant and electric ant baits

Fire ant and electric ant baits are approved under certain registered products or permits issued by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. They contain a relatively low-toxicity mixture of crushed corn soaked in soybean oil and with one of the following chemicals:

• methoprene
• pyriproxyfen
• hydramethylnon
• indoxacarb
• fipronil.

These baits can either be applied by accredited Biosecurity Queensland officers, or by homeowners in affected locations, to outside areas where fire ants or electric ants have been found.

Rodent control

Baits containing rodenticides, like any other agricultural chemical product, should always be used in accordance with approved label instructions or conditions of permits issued by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).

Rodenticides include acute poisons, anticoagulants and bioagents. Many of these are potentially dangerous to humans, domestic animals and wildlife if misused.

Fumigation

Fumigation controls rabbits inside their warrens or foxes inside their dens. This control method may be most useful to remove small pest animal numbers or in areas where warren ripping or fox baiting is not practical (e.g. in inaccessible terrain or near urban areas).

Rabbits

Depending on the number and location of rabbits you need to control, you may choose to use:

• static fumigation – placing moistened aluminium phosphide (phosphine) tablets that release toxic gas into each entrance of a rabbit warren, blocking them so rabbits cannot escape
• pressure fumigation – forcing gas into a rabbit warren under pressure with a fumigating machine. The chemical used (chloropicrin, sold as Larvacide) is highly toxic to people, can be painful to rabbits, and is being phased out in Australia.

Foxes

Fumigation of foxes inside their dens uses combustible carbon monoxide fumigant cartridges. As carbon monoxide is toxic to people, you must take adequate precautions to safeguard against accidental exposure.

Spraying for locusts

Spraying with insecticides can effectively control locusts. Different chemicals may be used for particular species of locusts. Following spraying, chemical residues in crops or stock require careful management. You must observe withholding periods or slaughter intervals as specified on the chemical label. Depending on your pest animal control needs, you may choose either ground or aerial spraying.

Ground spraying

Ground spraying is best used for controlling bands of small hoppers. You don't need a licence for ground spraying if it's applied on your own property using appropriate equipment. Ground spraying is most effective when applied to hoppers at densities below 30 square metres during the late afternoon, when hoppers have spread out from shelter, and in moderate wind conditions.

Aerial spraying

Aerial spraying is the only effective way to control flying locusts. You need a pilot chemical rating licence under the Agricultural Chemicals Distribution Control Act 1966 if you are going to use aerial spraying.

Also consider...

• Read the A-Z lists of pest animals, which includes information on how to control particular animal species.
• Use the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority permit search tool.
• Learn about wild dog control or read our wild dog fact sheets for more information.
• Learn about chemical residues and contaminants.
• Visit the PestSmart YouTube channel (CRC) for practical instructions on a range of pest animal control methods.
• Learn about the codes of practice and procedures for the human capture, handling or destruction of feral animals in Australia.

Trapping

Trapping can be useful when dealing with small pest animal populations or to remove remaining individuals following other control activities. Different types of trapping devices may be used for particular pest animals in certain situations.

Trappers must:

• be highly skilled
• comply with the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001
• obtain landowner permission when trapping on private property.

Learn more about trapping wild dogs.

Hunting/shooting

Shooting can also be useful to remove remaining pest animals following other control activities.

Shooters must:

• have a firearms licence and comply with the Weapons Act 1990
• comply with the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001
• obtain landowner permission when hunting on private property.

Landowners may use licensed private hunting contractors.

Learn more about humane shooting of wild dogs.

Fencing/netting

Fencing can provide effective protection from pest animals in a certain, well-defined area, but it requires ongoing maintenance, and pest animal numbers are not reduced.

Orchard netting is the most reliable option to protect fruit crops from damage by flying foxes, birds and some insect pests.

There are 2 large pest barrier fence systems in Queensland:

• A wild dog barrier fence, managed by Biosecurity Queensland, protects sheep grazing areas of southern and south-western Queensland and is supported by a network of local government managed, wild dog check fences.
• A rabbit fence, managed by the Darling Downs-Moreton Rabbit Board, protects agricultural land in south-eastern Queensland.

Harbour destruction

Harbour destruction includes warren ripping, mowing, burning and slashing, and removing debris such as logs, piles of waste timber and car bodies. It is an effective method for preventing the build-up of mice or reducing rabbit numbers. Warren ripping will also reduce the capacity of rabbits to repopulate an area following a baiting program. Equipment including bulldozers, excavators, backhoes and tractor-mounted rippers may be used.

Mustering

Mustering by motorcycle or horse, with the aid of dogs, can be an effective method to capture herds of feral goats.

Also consider...

• Read the A-Z lists of pest animals, which includes information on how to control particular animal species.
• Learn about animal welfare laws in Queensland.
• Find out about Queensland Police Service weapons licensing.
• Read about animal welfare for wild dogs.

Biological control

Biological control using animal-specific diseases is a cost-effective way of reducing pest animal populations over large areas. However, biological control must be followed up with other control activities to be effective and prevent the problem of emerging disease immunity.

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD)

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (also known as rabbit calicivirus disease) is a fast-acting virus specific to rabbits. The virus spreads through contact between infected rabbits and insects that can carry the virus.

Biological control of rabbits with rabbit haemorrhagic disease is a cost-effective method to deal with a large infestation. Other methods, such as baiting and harbour destruction, should be incorporated in a control program to increase success and prevent disease immunity.

Myxomatosis

The myxoma virus was introduced to Australia in the early 1950s and greatly reduced the rabbit plague. Surviving rabbit populations developed a resistance to the virus because landowners generally failed to take other measures to maximise control. The virus is no longer produced commercially but still exists in most rabbit populations as mild recurring strains.

Livestock guardian animals

Livestock guardian dogs or other guardian animals can effectively protect livestock from predators, but the initial costs are high and ongoing management is required, and pest animal numbers are not reduced.

Livestock guardian dogs have been bred for centuries to protect livestock from wolves and bears throughout Europe and Asia. In Australia, they have successfully been used to guard sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, cattle, and even native wildlife. Suitable breed stock with strong guardian instincts is essential. Some suitable breeds are the:

• Great Pyrenees from France
• Komondor from Hungary
• Akbash dog and the Anatolian shepherd from Turkey
• Maremma from Italy.

When bonded with livestock at a very young age and trained and managed effectively, most dogs will become excellent flock guardians. However, you should always desex animals to prevent cross-breeding with wild dogs.

Other guardian animals such as llamas and donkeys have also been used to protect livestock from predators.

Learn more about livestock guardian animals.

Also consider...

• Read the A-Z lists of pest animals, which includes information on how to control particular animal species.
• Read the best practice manual for the use of livestock guardian dogs.
• Visit the PestSmart YouTube channel (CRC) for practical instructions on a range of pest animal control methods.
• Learn about the codes of practice and procedures for the human capture, handling or destruction of feral animals in Australia.

While landowners are responsible for controlling invasive animals on their property, your local government and Biosecurity Queensland can provide expertise, technical support and coordination of control programs.

Your local government is the first point of contact for all enquiries about pest animal control, planning, complaints or baiting services.

Your local Biosecurity Queensland Officer can help with specific pest issues such as invasive animal species that must be reported to an authorised officer.

Additional support is available through:

• your local Landcare group; the national Landcare directory provides contact details and locality maps
• private pest animal control contractors
• private planning consultants.

Report suspect pest animal sightings

To report suspect sightings of prohibited or restricted animals, or notifiable ants:

• contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23
• fill out an online form for reporting fire ants and electric ants.

Also consider...

• Read the A-Z lists of pest animals, which includes information on how to identify and control particular animal species.
• Subscribe to our e-newsletters and alerts for latest information on pest animal issues in Queensland.