Invasive species

Mosquitoes are common in areas with warm and wet climates.

The three mosquito species commonly found in Brisbane are:

• saltmarsh mosquitoes, which breed in coastal areas

• freshwater-breeding mosquitoes, which breed in temporary ground pools

• container-breeding mosquitoes, which breed in backyards.

What Council is doing

We deliver Australia’s leading mosquito management program all year round. 

Our teams conduct ground and aerial treatments to target breeding sites in coastal saltmarshes and temporary ground pools.

Our expert entomologists also collaborate with other local councils and the Department of Health to coordinate mosquito control throughout the region.

We inspect breeding sites regularly via:

• all terrain vehicle (ATV) teams

• utility trucks

• officers on foot

• helicopter with ground support from ATV teams for large coastal areas.

What you can do

Container-breeding mosquitoes breed in backyards and lay eggs in small amounts of stagnant water.  

You can help prevent mosquitoes breeding at your property by removing any standing water around your home.

Download our factsheet to learn more about mosquito control.

Cane toads (Rhinella marina) were introduced to Queensland in 1935. They are toxic at all stages of life and can cause environmental damage, including:

• poisoning and killing anything that consumes them (e.g., native birds and reptiles, as well as some domestic animals)
• eating small reptiles, insects and other amphibians
• displacing and out-competing native species for food and resources

They can cause illness or death to humans if toxin is ingested.

Although non-native, the cane toad is not listed as a species that must be managed in the Biosecurity Act 2014. This is because they have become so well established that eradication is no longer feasible, so they are considered naturalised. However, all landowners have a general biosecurity obligation under the Biosecurity Act 2014 to manage cane toads on their land.

What you can do

Remove cane toad eggs

• Cane toad eggs appear as long, clear gelatinous strands with black eggs. To remove eggs, use disposable gloves and lift each strand of eggs out of water.
• Lay the eggs in the sun to dry and dispose of them in general waste bins.

Capture cane toad tadpoles

• Tadpole baits can be purchased which are produced using cane toad toxin but are safe to handle. The lures are designed to be placed in a tadpole trap. This can either be purchased or made from a plastic container with holes added to allow tadpoles to enter.
• Tadpoles can be disposed of in the same way as cane toad eggs.

Adult cane toad capture

• There are several types of adult cane toad traps that can be purchased. When placed near water, they can be effective in capturing adult toads. Some traps simulate mating calls, which can increase captures significantly.
• The humane way to dispose of adult cane toads is to place them in a container and in a fridge for 24 hours. This will send the cane toad into hibernation. They should then be moved to a freezer for 24 hours and disposed of in a general waste bin.

Ensure you wear gloves and exercise caution when handling cane toads, eggs or tadpoles.

To report cane toads:

• complete our feral animal sighting form 
• phone Council on 07 3403 8888. 

Keeping Moreton Island cane toad free

Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) is one of Brisbane's most important natural assets. It is one of only a few locations in coastal Queensland where cane toads are not established.

In 2011, the Australian Government introduced a threat abatement plan to guide efforts by all levels of government. The plan supports the protection of offshore islands, including Moreton Island (Mulgumpin), to prevent cane toad impacts upon native species.

Council undertakes various activities to keep Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) cane toad free, including:

• an educational program for visitors
• eDNA surveys to identify microscopic evidence of cane toads
• cane toad detection dogs to sniff out cane toads that may have hidden in vehicles and camping equipment.

Be vigilant when unpacking, as every year cane toads try to sneak across with visitors. As camper trailers, utes and vehicles are unpacked, be on the look-out for stowaways. If you find one, contact the Park Ranger who will ensure it is humanely euthanised.

To report cane toads on Moreton Island (Mulgumpin), you can:  

• complete our feral animal sighting form 
• phone Council on 07 3403 8888. 

Download the fact sheet to learn more about how you can help keep cane toads off Moreton Island.

Video: Cane toad detection

One of the ways we’re ensuring cane toads stay off the island is by using cane toad detection dogs.

View a demonstration of the cane toad detection dogs.

Transcript 

Hi. My name's Steve Austin and this is Tommy.

Tommy's a working English Springer Spaniel and we're very fortunate to work for the Brisbane City Council at the lovely Moreton Island, doing our very best to make sure no cane toads get on the island, to help Brisbane City Council.

Hopefully we can continue to keep Moreton Island free of toads.

The Red Imported Fire Ant (fire ant) (Solenopsis invicta) originated in South America and is the most dangerous invasive species in Australia. Bites from fire ants can be severe and can cause severe allergic (anaphylaxis) reactions requiring first aid or an emergency response.

The Australian Government, in partnership with all states and territories, is delivering the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program, to prevent their spread.

Fire ants look like ordinary house or garden ants. They vary in size from 2-6mm and are copper brown in colour with a darker abdomen.

Fire ants can be identified by their aggressive behaviour when their nest is disturbed. 

Nests can be inconspicuous and look like a small bucket of soil that has been gently tipped onto the ground. There are no entry or exit holes, and no ant activity will be observed if the nest is undisturbed. Nests can be established in garden beds, lawns, pot plants, along fence lines, and along the edge of concrete paths.

What you can do

If you suspect you have fire ants, keep children and pets away from the area where you think there is a nest.

Don’t touch the nest or break it open until treatment has been completed. 

For more information about fire ants, visit the National Fire Ant Eradication Program.

Yellow crazy ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) are listed as an invasive biosecurity matter in the Biosecurity Act 2014. Yellow crazy ants have the potential to form 'super-colonies' with multiple queens, and a very high density of individual, aggressive ants.

Yellow crazy ants don’t sting, however they may spray formic acid, especially when disturbed. This can burn or irritate the skin and eyes of animals and humans. This requires immediate flushing with water and medical attention.

Yellow crazy ants are small, about 5 millimetres long. They are yellowish tan in colour with a slender body and long antennae. Yellow crazy ants are named after their erratic walking style and frantic movements especially when disturbed.

Report yellow crazy ants

To report yellow crazy ants, you can:  

• complete our feral animal sighting form
• phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are listed in the Biosecurity Act 2014 as a species required to be managed in Queensland.

Foxes are common across the city, and being opportunistic feeders, they prey on native animals and poultry. It is important to ensure enclosures are fox-proof to protect backyard chickens.

Download our factsheet to learn how to build a fox-proof ensure.

Council undertakes an integrated approach to fox management to protect Brisbane’s native wildlife. This includes monitoring, education, trapping and assisting landholders to meet their general biosecurity obligation under the Biosecurity Act 2014.

Report a European red fox

You can use Council's feral animal sighting form or phone Council on 07 3403 8888 to:

• report a fox, including the presence of dens
• request assistance managing foxes
• register your property as a management location.

Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are listed in the Biosecurity Act 2014 and the Biosecurity Plan for Brisbane as a species required to be managed.

Feral pigs are widespread across Brisbane. They favour waterway corridors and wetland areas, which provide required food, cover and a constant water supply.

Feral pigs uproot vegetation and trample the ground in search of roots and tubers. This causes erosion and sediment issues that negatively impact on water quality. They destroy native vegetation and contribute to the spread of weeds. Feral pigs carry diseases that effect native flora and fauna, livestock and people.

Council undertakes an integrated approach to feral pig management. This includes monitoring, education, trapping and assisting landholders.

What you can do

If you would like assistance managing feral pigs, or to register your property as a management location, you can you can:

• submit a feral animal sighting form
• phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

Deer are a non-native species listed in the Biosecurity Act 2014 as required to be managed in Queensland. There are three species of deer found in South East Queensland that were originally introduced for hunting purposes:

• Rusa deer (Cervus timorensis)
• Red deer (Cervus elaphus)
• Fallow deer (Dama dama).

Feral deer cause problems such as:

• damaging native vegetation through browsing and trampling and ringbarking
• competing with native wildlife for resources and habitat
• reducing water quality to creeks, wetlands and river systems through over grazing and trampling
• damaging residential gardens and fences
• creating a traffic hazard on roads
• attracting legal hunting
• transmitting diseases and parasites to humans, domestic animals and wildlife
• aggressive behaviour (from stags) towards domestic animals, including horses, during breeding season.

Council undertakes an integrated approach to feral deer management to protect Brisbane’s natural environment. This includes monitoring, education, trapping and assisting landholders.

What you can do

If you would like assistance managing feral deer, or to register your property as a management location, you can:

• submit a feral animal sighting form
• phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

There are many species of non-native pest fish included in the Biosecurity Act 2014. Many of these species are present in South East Queensland waterways. These species are listed in the Act include:

• alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula)
• black pacu (Piaractus brachypomus)
• carp (Cyprinus carpio)
• Chinese weatherfish (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus)
• climbing perch (Anabas testudineus)
• gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki)
• giant cichlid, yellow belly cichlid (Boulengerochromis microlepis)
• marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus)
• spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus)
• Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus and Tilapia mariae).

If caught at an approved fishing location, these species must be immediately and humanely killed and must not be returned to the water. Under the Biosecurity Act 2014, people cannot possess noxious fish, or keep, hatch, rear, sell or move from an area, so they must be disposed of at the location where they are caught, such as in a Council garbage bin at the location.

Council has developed a management strategy which is outlined in the Biosecurity Plan for Brisbane. Some of these strategies include:

• educating residents and the community about the impacts of noxious fish on the natural environment and noxious fish management
• educating residents on the risks posed to our native biodiversity when ornamental fish are released into waterways
• supporting research into biological controls and new innovations to manage noxious fish
• containing noxious fish and preventing the incursion into areas where they are currently not present
• managing noxious fish by reducing the population density of established species where possible.

Report pest fish

To report a noxious fish species in water bodies in Council parks, you can:

• report the sighting to the Queensland Government.
• phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

A domestic cat (Felis catus and Prionailurus bengalensis x Felix catus) is one that has an owner, is microchipped, and is kept and fed by humans. All other cats, including those that are semi-dependent on humans, stray or feral, are classified as non-domestic cats in the Biosecurity Act 2014. This means that they must not be distributed, given away, sold, traded, released into the environment, moved or fed. 

Cats are known to carry parasites including toxoplasmosis and feline hook worm, both of which may impact upon human health. They can also transmit feline immunodeficiency virus which is potentially fatal to cats.

To prevent interactions between non-domestic cats and pets, always keep your cat safely secured or inside. Under Council’s Animals Local Law 2017, owners are required to provide an enclosure for their animal to keep it on the property and prevent it from wandering.

Council undertakes an integrated approach to non-domestic cat management to help protect Brisbane’s native wildlife. This includes monitoring, education, trapping and assisting landowners.

What you can do

If you would like assistance managing non-domestic cats on your property yourself or with Council’s assistance, or to register your property as a management location, you can:

• submit a feral animal sighting form
• phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

Red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) are listed as an Invasive Biosecurity Matter in the Biosecurity Act 2014. It is illegal to keep, breed, sell, or knowingly harbour red‑eared slider turtles.

Red-eared slider turtles are an exotic freshwater turtle from the United States. They can be identified by:

• a red stripe behind the eyes
• the ability to retract their heads into their shells, unlike native turtles which wrap their heads around their shells.

Red-eared slider turtles are very aggressive, and prey on native species like other aquatic reptiles, frogs, fish, crustaceans and insects.

Report red-eared slider turtles

Report the sighting to the Queensland Government.

A wild dog is any free-ranging dog without an owner and includes domestic dogs living in the wild. Dingoes are identified as 'native wildlife' under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and are protected in national parks. Under the Biosecurity Act 2014 wild dogs outside of protected areas must be managed.

Wild dogs can be a range of colours and sizes, depending on the mix of their bloodlines. These dogs can be territorial and aggressive, particularly where packs of dogs are encountered.

Wild dogs pose a serious threat to native wildlife and may prey on a variety of species from small frogs and reptiles to adult kangaroos and wallabies. In isolated remnant pockets of forest, wild dogs can have devastating impacts on local wildlife species. They can also injure or kill domestic pets, livestock or poultry, so it is important to keep your pets inside at night.

What you can do

If you see a wild dog:

1. Remain calm and walk away, just like you would with any unrestrained domestic dog. Never run away from the dog as it can stimulate their instinct to chase.
2. Never feed or attempt to befriend wild dogs - wild dogs that lose their fear of humans are a hazard.
3. Keep your pets inside at night - a wild dog will attack domestic dogs and any other pet or native animal if the opportunity arises.

To report a wild dog, you can:

• submit a feral animal sighting form
• phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are listed as an Invasive Biosecurity Matter in the Biosecurity Act 2014. Under the Act, landholders are required to manage European rabbits.

It is illegal to keep a rabbit as a pet in Brisbane, and rabbits kept for approved purposes such as public entertainment or university research must have an approved permit from Biosecurity Queensland.

Rabbits can land degradation by:

• damaging vegetation by ringbarking trees and shrubs
• preventing regeneration by eating seeds and seedlings
• grazing on native herbs and grasses
• causing erosion by digging.

Rabbits also contribute to the decline of native wildlife numbers through competition for resources.

Report a rabbit

To report a rabbit, you can:

• submit a feral animal sighting form
• phone Council on 07 3403 8888. 

Common mynas (Acridotheres tristis) are native to India and since being introduced into Australia have increased in numbers to the point where they are considered naturalised, meaning that eradication of this species with today's technology is currently unfeasible.  

Mynas compete aggressively for nesting hollows, displacing, outcompeting and excluding many native wildlife species, especially hollow-dependant animals such as parrots and gliders. 

This species thrives in areas of human habitation, preferring areas with mown lawns. Mulched gardens can make areas attractive to native wildlife, whilst minimising the availability of suitable nesting sites, thereby reducing myna populations.

The common myna is often confused with the noisy miner, which is a native Australian bird with similar behaviours.

Invasive plants can have a detrimental impact on native species and vegetation.

Examples of pest plants include:

• water hyacinth
• broad-leaf pepper tree
• parthenium.

What you can do

To help control invasive plants:  

• only use native plants in aquariums and outdoor ponds (e. g. hornwort, thin vale, water sprite) 
• choose native or non-invasive plants when planting your garden 
• use our weed identification tool to identify weeds in your yard, learn control methods and replace them with native alternatives. 

You can also report invasive weeds using our online form.

If your plant species is not on this list, check our weeds database to identify it and find out how to keep it under control.