00:00 Delmar Cahoon's property has been overrun by tiny acid-spraying invaders.
00:07 Oh yeah, lots of eggs there.
00:10 She's felt helpless to stop the ants spreading across her rural block
00:14 on the outskirts of Townsville.
00:16 We had a major trail along this veranda.
00:19 Eventually reaching inside her house.
00:22 You'd see them crawling on the ceilings, down the walls.
00:25 I'd be lying in bed, you know, "Oh, there's an ant, pull it off."
00:29 Yellow crazy ants are considered one of the world's worst invasive species.
00:34 They will literally wipe out ecosystems from the ground up.
00:38 You'll see all your ants and insects disappear,
00:40 small reptiles, ground-dwelling birds.
00:42 Also threatening agriculture, pets and property values.
00:46 Here in Townsville we have infestations ranging through seven of our suburbs,
00:51 so it's important we get on top of it before it gets any worse.
00:54 After securing $12 million in federal funding,
00:59 the Townsville City Council is hitting the ground.
01:02 And taking to the sky.
01:07 Using helicopters and drones in an effort to eventually eradicate the insects.
01:15 This is the first in a series of up to five baiting blitzes
01:19 in the Townsville area over the next year.
01:21 The Council is targeting 500 hectares of infested land.
01:26 We've been hanging out, waiting and waiting,
01:28 and I do wish it had come a bit earlier.
01:30 Advocates want a longer-term funding model
01:33 to safeguard communities and ecosystems.
01:36 With invasive species, you can't just leave a few.
01:39 It's like rabbits. If you leave a few, they will continue to expand.
01:42 A reality no-one wants to risk.
01:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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