Experts fear a potentially deadly foreign ant plaguing south-east Queensland could soon spread to New South Wales and have called for more funding to help eradicate the pest.

Key points: Red fire ants have plagued south-east Queensland since they entered through Brisbane port in 2001

Red fire ants have plagued south-east Queensland since they entered through Brisbane port in 2001 The ants are within 50 kilometres of the NSW border, according to the Invasive Species Council

The ants are within 50 kilometres of the NSW border, according to the Invasive Species Council There are calls for eradication funding to be doubled

The Invasive Species Council say red fire ants are close to the border and their excellent reproductive techniques make the chances of outbreaks south of the border high.

Fifty experts on the pest will meet in Brisbane this week to develop the first national plan to prevent infestations, monitor existing threats and control outbreaks.

The Council's chief executive, Andrew Cox, said the prospect of the pest spreading was concerning.

"Because the spread of the ant could cover virtually all of Australia, this is a serious national issue that all Australians should be worried about," Mr Cox said.

"It's probably about 50 kilometres from the border with New South Wales."

The country's only infestation of the ant in south-east Queensland now covers about 300 hectares.

Mr Cox said the insects also inhibit agriculture by making it hard for workers and equipment, as well as threatening nearby native environments.

"Every now and again there's new outbreaks as it's accidentally spread by those moving plant materials, soil and pot plants."

Calls for doubling of funding

The red fire ant originated in South America and bites both humans and livestock en masse. ( ABC Open )

Red fire ants have plagued south-east Queensland since they entered through Brisbane port in 2001.

The ant originated in South America and bites both humans and livestock en masse.

The ants have become a problem in urban communities in Queensland.

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said the ants had taken over his city.

"We've gone from having a number of suburbs affected to having nearly the whole city affected," he said.

"There're only two suburbs that are not affected, so it's really had a detrimental effect on all of us.

"We've had cases of young children and adults being bitten."

Invasive Species Council chief Andrew Cox has called for eradication funding to be doubled to prevent the ants spreading across the continent.

He said successive governments had spent more than $320 million on the problem and it would go to waste if ministers abandoned the eradication plans.

"Abandoning the eradication program will mean we have to live with the red imported fire ant," he said.

"We will have to treat all our urban areas we want to use — the parks and the playgrounds and backyards — and we will have to accept both major loss in our agriculture and environment."

Australia is leading the way: expert

Among the speakers at this week's meeting is global expert in red fire ants Dr David Oi from the US Department of Agriculture.

The entomologist said the insects had killed up to 80 people in the United States alone.

"The most recent one I'm aware of was in 2015: there was a middle school student [who] was playing football," he said.

"He got stung on the football field, he had an anaphylactic reaction and he died."

US have given up on eradicating the insects, but Dr Oi said Australia's colony is small enough the ant could be wiped out with baits.

"Australia has led the way in trying to eradicate the ants," he said.

"The world is watching you; I think you folks are right there at the edge you can do this."