Photo/Illutration Fire ants are found at Aomi Pier in Tokyo’s Koto Ward in Oct. 9. (Provided by Environment Ministry)

The race is on to prevent vicious fire ants from settling and spreading in Japan, but it may already be too late.

The government at a meeting on Oct. 21 decided to conduct the further research into the invasive species and reinforce measures against the ants.

The Environment Ministry and the National Institute for Environmental Studies will continue monitoring the area around Aomi Pier in the Port of Tokyo in Koto Ward, where colonies of the fire ants were discovered in early October.

According to the ministry, more than 50 fire ant queens, about 750 workers and at least 10 larvae have been found at Aomi Pier since Oct. 7.

The ants escaped into the ground through cracks in the pavement.

Countermeasures have been taken, such as spraying pesticides and placing food to lure the ants to their death.

“More than 50 fire ant queens were discovered in total, and some of those that can reproduce might have flown away,” Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Oct. 18.

The venomous fire ants that were found in Japan are native to South America. A bite or sting from a fire ant is seldom life-threatening unless the victim has an acute allergic reaction, such as breathing difficulties.

The existence of fire ants in Japan was first reported in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, in June 2017.

On Sept. 10 this year, during harbor inspections across the nation, the ministry found about 500 fire ant workers, one queen, pupas, larvae and eggs near Aomi Pier.

A search of the surrounding area found many fire ants and their colonies.

In June, dozens of fire ants were discovered near the site.

“Although the colonies have already been formed, we have not yet judged whether the ants have settled in Japan,” an Environment Ministry official said.

Koichi Goka, head of the Ecological Risk Assessment and Control Section of the National Institute for Environmental Studies, said research must continue based on the high probability that they have settled.

“The size of their nests is big, so fire ants may have produced a number of generations inside them,” he said.

According to Goka, it is important for specialists to continue to monitor the area because some of the winged fire ants may move away from the port.