Pests

Insectivorous bats are tiny, quiet and worth about $63 million to the cotton industry. A study of the creatures, some of which are under threat, has been expanded in NSW.

The native long-haired bush rat that wreaked havoc on communities in the north-west have now moved south, spotted in Longreach and Winton. Locals say it's the biggest infestation they've seen in years.

Volunteers monitoring a struggling penguin population on Granite Island, just offshore from SA's Victor Harbor, are frustrated as the gate through a fox-proof fence is frequently left unlatched.

The red imported fire ant is a super-pest: a threat to crops, animals, and people, and colonies are spreading from Queensland across the border into New South Wales.

The Commonwealth and state governments are doubling down on a half-billion-dollar program that's so far failed to stop the spread of the red imported fire ant.

Staff based at Jindabyne have been the subject of "escalating social media campaigns", as well as a firebomb threat and the dumping of a decapitated horse head, according to evidence shared during a NSW Upper House inquiry.

The South Australian government wants to get rid of the state's feral deer population by 2032 but hunters say the way they are doing it is cruel, unfair to landholders, and polluting the environment.

Usually snakes are unwelcome visitors on farms, but research suggests the benefits of their presence on agricultural land far outweighs the potential costs to farmers and graziers.

When Indian mynas move into an area they force native birds out of their wood hollows and kill their chicks, leading to a decline in native bird numbers.

Up to 20 per cent of trees at Perth's Hyde Park need to be removed due to an insect infestation affecting more than 80 suburbs in the city. 

Here's what you can do to prevent cane toads from making themselves at home on your property and how to humanely euthanase any you do find in your garden.

Biosecurity officials launch an investigation after finding a red imported fire ant inside a package from Queensland at an Australia Post parcel centre in southern Tasmania.

There are fears a post-flood construction boom may be linked to the latest discovery of red fire ants in northern NSW, as authorities continue to trace the source.

A gardener has been attacked by fire ants after disturbing a nest at a flood pod village. The find has raised questions around how the ants were introduced into the area.

There are concerns a harmful invasive pest fire ants are using floodwaters to infest new areas.

As wet weather continues to pummel Queensland, a variety of timber-loving pests are making their way into drenched homes and gardens. 

A 15cm-long cane toad found in Broome is believed to have travelled there in a vehicle from an infested area, and authorities expect there will be more.

You may want every fly to buzz off this summer, but according to a nature writer, some deserve an invitation because the overwhelming majority of more than 30,000 species in Australia are too busy doing good deeds to have an interest in your barbecue.

Scientists says bludgeoning the invasive pests with a golf club or running them over with a car isn't just cruel — it's also potentially dangerous.

The flock of goats can often be seen perched on the cliffs in Otago Bay but they have now started crossing the road, creating a dangerous hazard.

Authorities are removing a number of Moreton Bay fig trees at Kings Park to prevent the spread of a deadly beetle infestation. 

A cane toad is spotted outside a Broome resort — the third local sighting in recent months — prompting fears more will arrive in the region soon.

Investigations have begun into the deaths of large numbers of redfin at Lake Wallace near Lithgow in New South Wales.

An official survey estimates the roo population declined significantly across New South Wales in the past 12 months, yet farmers say numbers appear healthy.

Wet and humid conditions lead to an explosion in cane toad populations with invasive species experts concerned for pets and native wildlife.