A current look at the conditions as a 2nd wintry storm moves into B.C.'s coast

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'One of World's Worst Invasive Species': Fire Ant Rafts Drift During Wild Australian Weather

Fire ants, an invasive species described as “tiny killers,” have been “taking advantage” of recent wild weather in northeast Australia, forming rafts to move to new areas using the water currents, a national NGO has warned.Footage taken by a farmer in the northern Gold Coast shows multiple mounds of ants floating along the water in raft-like formations.“The recent heavy rainfall and wild weather in the region could accelerate the spread of fire ants, one of the world’s worst invasive species,” said Reece Pianta with the Invasive Species Council.“Fire ants are more active before or after rainfall and can form large floating rafts which move with water currents to establish footholds in new areas,” he said.The council issued a warning to residents in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales to be on the alert for the ants after heavy rainfall and wild weather in the region.According to the council, the ants, native to South America, “can be lethal to humans” and “can damage electrical and agricultural equipment, sting people, pets and livestock, kill native plants and animals, and damage ecosystems beyond repair.” Credit: Invasive Species Council via Storyful