Plant diseases and pests

Hide menu

Exotic plant pest and disease outbreaks

This page has information to help you identify and report exotic plant pests and diseases found in the Northern Territory (NT).

If you see any plant pest or disease you think is suspicious, report it to the exotic plant pest hotline 1800 084 881.

You can also contact Plant Biosecurity by calling 08 8999 2118 or emailing plantbiosecurity@nt.gov.au.

Banana freckle

Banana freckle is a disease of banana leaves and fruit. It's a declared pest under Plant Health Act 2008.

This disease has been detected in the Batchelor – Rum Jungle region and Middle Point area.

If you think you have seen banana freckle in the NT, call 1800 084 881.

Asian honey bee

The NT is on the alert for Asian honey bees, which are a significant threat to the honey and pollination industries.

They can carry varroa, tropilaelaps and tracheal mites and can also spread other pests or diseases to European honey bees, which are used to produce honey.

Read more about the Asian honey bee alert and how to report sightings of unusual bees.

European foulbrood

This is a notifiable honey bee disease in the NT.

American foulbrood

American foulbrood is a fatal bacterial disease of honey bee brood. It was detected in Alice Springs in 2019 and 2020 but has since been eradicated.

It has not been detected outside of the Alice Springs township.

Heavy infections can affect most of the brood, severely weakening the colony and eventually killing it. It is a notifiable disease and must be reported.

Browsing ants

Browsing ants were found at Darwin Port and 2 neighbouring sites in 2015.

Browsing ants (Lepisiota frauenfeldi ) are exotic and are not established in Australia.

They form large colonies and eat and displace native ant species, as well as other insects in the infested area. They are not harmful to humans.

Read more about browsing ants and other exotic ants that are endangering the NT environment.

Fire ants

Fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) is an invasive fire ant.

They are not yet detected in the NT, but they could potentially spread from south-east Queensland.