what damage they managed to cause
This type of insect is common in the Mediterranean countries
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The species of “foreign” ants is spreading massively in the south of Germany. Near human settlements, insects cause power outages, damage gardens and “undermine” children’s playgrounds.
Ants of the species Tapinoma Magnum, which invaded the south of Germany, are invasive to the local ecosystem, that is, they can harm the local flora and fauna, informs The Bild.
They come from the countries of the Mediterranean basin. At first, the insects “invaded” Switzerland, from where they migrated to the territory of the southwestern federal state of Baden-Württemberg (Germany).
In the Black Forest, ants damaged electricity and Internet lines. And in a municipality on the Rhine, huge colonies of insects inhabited the area under a children’s playground, which caused soil erosion. Due to this, the place for games had to be closed to the public.
In Cologne, several supercolonies of insects were discovered, the number of each of which reaches a million individuals.
According to biologist Bernhard Seifert from the Senkerberg Museum of Natural History in Görlitz, these insects do not carry diseases. Instead, they can cause short-term allergic reactions and psychological stress.
During the previous years, representatives of the species Tapinoma Magnum were also found in neighboring regions of Germany, such as in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and even in the east of France.
Local officials are concerned about the threat posed by ants. For example, the Ministry of the Environment of the city of Stuttgart maintains contacts with foreign scientists in order to obtain information on the consequences and effectiveness of methods of controlling populations of insects of the Tapinoma Magnum species.
Swiss municipalities have also reported problems caused by insect infestations.
“Available evidence shows that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to deal with colonies as large as those located in Cologne.”– they note there.
We will remind you that in October 2023, seven schools had to be closed in France due to infestation of bedbugs.
