SCIENTISTS and university professors say an investigation must begin over whether there is a potential link between paralysis syndrome in lorikeets and bats and fire ant baits being aerially sprayed by Biosecurity Queensland across the southeast.

Dr David Low, who has a PhD in environmental science, and who is a former invasive species policy officer, said an analysis must study the use of deadly fire ant pesticides and the soaring deaths of bats and lorikeets.

“Parrots and bats both eat insects,” he said.

“These insects would be the ones that also feed on the baits. The involvement of ant baits in the paralysis of birds and bats would seem probable.

“Ant pesticides affect enzyme uptake in birds and bats, and this would cause paralysis (a known symptom of enzyme disruption in pesticide ingestion).”

He said indoxacarb [used in the National Fire Ant Eradication Program) disrupted the uptake of the enzymes in muscles and nerves by blocking sodium channels in the nervous system and stopping feeding which would cause immobility.

His interest in pesticide use came after working for Monsanto and talking with people concerned with health and environmental effects of chemicals.

Dr Low spoke to The Tribune after RSPCA Queensland said recently it admitted more than 8,000 lorikeets and 1,000 flying foxes in 2024.

It has treated hundreds more since the start of the year, with many others being cared for by wildlife volunteers.

An RSPCA spokesman said it cared for 188 lorikeets at Wacol in the first week of 2024 while in December alone it treated more than 2,000 lorikeets.

“Researchers are exploring the possibility it is caused by the ingestion of an ‘environmental toxin’ in the southern Queensland and northern NSW region,” an RSPCA spokeswoman told The Tribune.

Cases of paralysis syndrome spike in summer and only affect animals in northern NSW and south-east Queensland, while bait treatment is most effective in the warmer months when fire ants forage for food.

High numbers of lorikeets with paralysis syndrome were found at Toowong and Queens Park in Ipswich before Christmas.

In addition, Currumbin Wildlife Hospital admitted 1,208 rainbow lorikeets and 248 bats during December 2024 as heavy aerial fire ant pesticide spraying took place over Currumbin.

A spokeswoman from the National Fire Ant Eradication Program said to this newspaper claims fire ant eradication treatment caused Flying Fox Paralysis Syndrome and Lorikeet Paralysis Syndrome “were false”.

“The National Fire Ant Eradication Program will not comment further on this matter,” she said.

The animals affected cannot fly and, in more severe cases, their ability to blink or swallow is severely reduced.

The University of Sydney’s Professor David Phalen, who is currently running a citizen scientist research project exploring lorikeet paralysis syndrome, said a link between fire ant pesticides and the soaring number of cases cannot be discounted.

Professor Phalen said he had given it “considerable thought”.

“Especially last year when the problem of lorikeet paralysis syndrome was so bad,” Professor Phalen said.

“There are some reasons to think they might be linked, but my conclusions were there were even more to think they were not; I don’t recall all of them, but we have not detected the toxins used to control fire ants in their systems, nor have we detected DNA from the bait in the gut of the lorikeets.

“But we have not discounted this possibility, and future testing will help to rule it in or rule it out.”

University doctor Conny Turni said that the distribution of lorikeet paralysis and death “seemed to coincide” with the fire ant baiting of growth regulator pesticides.

“The fire ant program is spraying wide areas with a corn grit and soybean oil bait containing either pyriproxyfen or s-methoprene,” Dr Turni said.

“These baits are distributed over large areas with helicopters.

“Pyriproxyfen is distributed six times a year while s-methoprene is distributed four times a year.

“This program has been underway since 2001 and has been extended for another 10 years. The area they are spraying is 820,000 ha from Caboolture in the north, to Tweed Heads in the south and stretches west to Gatton.

“They have sprayed pyriproxyfen into water ways and did poison the water.

“Water analysis detected 81ug/L pyriproxyfen.

“Pyriproxyfen causes liver toxicity when ingested, we had dogs at the Gold Coast display liver toxicity after fire ant spraying, with one dog dying. We had an autopsy report of two calves with liver toxicity.

“People have picked up dead birds after spraying. I have not seen these reports or dead birds, but heard the vet gave the talk about the dogs and heard the calf story from the farmer directly. I only heard second hand of the dead birds.

“On my property they sprayed s-methoprene and our green frogs, which were plentiful, vanished.”

The National Library of Medicine in a research paper in 2021 wrote of pyriproxyfen:

“Pyriproxyfen exposure induces DNA damage, cell proliferation impairments and apoptosis in the brain vesicles layers of chicken embryos.”

As for indoxacarb, The United States Environmental Protection Agency (https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-labels/label-review-training-module-4-applying-principles-pesticide-label-review-page-11) stated that indoxacarb was “toxic to mammals, birds, fish, and aquatic invertebrates”.

“Do not apply directly to water or to areas where surface water is present or to intertidal areas below the mean high-water mark. Runoff from treated areas may be hazardous to aquatic organisms in neighbouring areas,” it noted.

“Cover, incorporate, or clean up granules that are spilled. Do not contaminate water when disposing of equipment wash water or rinsate.

“Indoxacarb has been classified as a ‘not likely’ human carcinogen.

“Neurotoxicity was observed in several studies in both rats and mice. It is characterised by weakness, head tilting, and abnormal gait or mobility with inability to stand. Some of these signs occurred at fatal doses.”

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