6 Mar 2006

Tokelau pest eradication programme to be launched next month

4:25 pm on 6 March 2006

An international pest eradication group says a project to fight crazy ants in Tokelau will begin its work next month.

The Invasive Species Specialist Group says specialists have discovered that the ants whose acid secretions have become a nuisance on Nukunonu and Fakaofo atolls.

The New Zealand based Pacific Coordinator for ISSG, Bill Nagle, says crazy ants are among 30 species of ants that have been found.

He says funding has just been approved to educate people on the pest, and control it.

"The proposal for the crazy ant eradication or the awareness or the training component, its very important that people living in Tokelau or travelling to Tokelau understand that these ants can travel in your baggage, so we want to create more awareness of crazy ants."

Bill Nagle of ISSG