Earlier this year, MPI Biosecurity identified a suspicious looking ant from Wellington Road as the invasive Argentine. The alarm was raised and villagers were on alert for suspicious ant activity.
It turns out Argentine ants have been present in Paekākāriki for several years. However, it’s not until they build up to nuisance numbers and start invading kitchens that residents realise they’ve got a problem.
The ants have been found on Wellington and Tilley Roads, between Cecil and Ocean Roads. They are on properties on either side of the Sand Track. They are in the Paekākāriki Orchards and Gardens (POG) and adjacent properties on Haumia Street. And it sounds like they are on a couple of properties on Aperahama Street and The Parade as well.
On 20 September 2025 a community workshop was held at the Paekākāriki Scout Hall. Many thanks to Greater Wellington Regional Council Biosecurity Officer Bruce Brewer for sharing his expertise on what to look for and how to tackle this terrible pest.
The most significant action we can take as a community is to stop the spread via human induced pathways. This includes not receiving potted plants, compost mulch, soil, or garden supplies from locations known to have Argentine ants. Similarly, if you know or suspect you have Argentine ants, please don’t remove these items from your property.
In contrast to native and most introduced ants, Argentine ants tend to create super colonies that can be hundreds of metres (even kilometres) across. Hence, the most effective way to tackle these ants is to work as a collective. If you kill ant nests on your property but your neighbour doesn’t, it’s just a matter of time before you are re-infested. There’s no better way to build neighbourly relations than by joining forces against a common foe!
October/November is the ideal time for baiting, when the weather warms up and dries out a bit. One could call it an ‘anty-cyclone’. The recommendation is to use Vanquish bait which is protein-based and so will be carried back to the nest by workers. Very low concentrations of fipronil (the same ingredient as in some dog and cat flea treatments, but 1/1000th as strong) won’t affect the workers but will kill larvae and queens in the nest. We have created an info sheet for villagers. Please read it for information about best practice.
Meanwhile, there are two places in Paekākāriki that present higher risks. One is the POG which has confirmed the ants’ presence in one of their compost bins.
- Please pause all collection of compost and mulch from the POG until further notice.
- Collection of Pae Cycle food waste can continue.
- The POG team is working on pest control to treat the area.
The other place at risk is the school nursery. So far, there has been no official identification of ants at the nursery. Potty Potters is now maintaining hyper vigilance on this. However, we can all play our part too:
- Please do not drop off any home-grown plants or reusable pots to the school nursery. Contact Potty Potters first and they will collect.
- Clean any items you would like to donate before contacting Potty Potters. Plants may need to be bare rooted for donation. Potty Potters will advise.
We are collating a database of properties who think they have or know they have Argentine ants. If you would like to add your information to the mix, please fill in this form. We will not share addresses. This is just for our information to get a clearer understanding of the extent of the spread.
Thank you to the Paekākāriki community for your interest and support in tackling this nuisance in the village.
