Meat ants could solve cane toad problem

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Updated March 3, 2010 18:36:12

An answer on how to deal with one of the region's most notorious pests, the cane toad, may have been found. The cane toad has been wreaking havoc on the environments of many Pacific Island countries including Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Solomon Islands.

In Australia, the population has exploded since they were first introduced in 1935 as a biological control for the cane grub in sugar crops. The experiment failed .. but the toads thrived in Australia .. spreading from Queensland, south to Victoria and across to Western Australia. Millions of dollars has been spent trying to stop the toads hopping into every corner of the country .. so far without success. Now new research from the University of Sydney suggests the answer could be as simple as native meat ants and a tin of cat food.

Presenter: Meredith Griffiths
Speakers: Professor Rick Shine from the University of Sydney

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