Aggressive red fire ants rarely stop at one bite.

When disturbed they become aggressive and bite repeatedly, and their bite is like fire.

Since arriving in south-east Queensland, massive efforts to reduce their spread and contain the damage have been undertaken.

When a nest of red fire ants was discovered at Port Botany, Sydney, last November, the likely arrival was via a shipping container.

NSW Department of Primary Industries biosecurity officers destroyed the nest, and so far so good, the pest has not spread.

As a follow up, volunteers will be doorknocking over 1,000 homes in Southern Sydney this weekend (18th and 19th July) to inspect for any sign of fire ants.

Sniffer dogs are being trained in Brisbane to detect nests in South East Queensland and will be brought to Sydney in a few weeks.

The NSW Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair said the bites felt like fire, hence the name, and the pest needed to be contained.

"We're going to go out there and repeatedly make sure that there's been no other incursions of this highly aggressive and seriously exotic pest, that if left uncontained could have had a serious impact on the Sydney region," he said.

If anyone suspects the presence of an exotic pest, they should contact the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.

Fire ants are small, between two and six millimetres in length, reddish-brown in colour, with a darker abdomen.

Residents should not disturb the ants or nests or try to treat the infestations themselves.

Fire ant nests often look like disturbed soil or a small mound of soil with no visible entry holes. Fire ants can also nest under logs, garden materials, hay or in electrical infrastructure.