Alarm in Saxony: New Invasive ants Tapinoma Magnum discovered!

Alarm in Saxony: New Invasive ants Tapinoma Magnum discovered!

In Saxony, a new ant species ensures excitement, which now also attracts attention in other German regions. The Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Görlitz confirmed the first proof of invasive ant tapinoma magnum . These little crawlers were spotted both in Dresden-Langebrück and in a garden center in Coswig, such as 1und1 . In this region, even electricity and internet failures were reported as a result of the invasion.

The risk of spreading

The so -called "super colonies" consisting of tapinoma magnum can consist of hundreds of thousands of ants, which significantly difficult to combat this kind. Conventional insecticides or hot foam are not very effective, and the ants that are often confused with local species are recognized as a challenge. A research team from the Natural History Museums Stuttgart and Karlsruhe has therefore started a project to find out more about this way and to develop countermeasures.

In Germany there are now over 120 ants, and experts warn of the rapidly increasing number of invasive species - in particular tapinoma magnum . As a advice, you recommend contacting the research project's website in order to receive a precise provision. The sending of photos can help to obtain clarity about a possible infestation.

what to do when infestation?

If an infestation should actually be determined, the experts strongly advise against using insecticides themselves. Instead, it is important to inform the responsible communities immediately. So far, there are no control means that are tailored to this invasive ant type, but you should be aware that they do not transmit diseases, but can trigger short -term allergies.

The spread of tapinoma magnum is not just a regional problem for Saxony or Baden-Württemberg. They have already been spotted in other parts of Germany, including Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Cologne and Hanover. The Federal Office for Nature Conservation did not classify the Situation as dangerous for the ecosystems, but many are considered to be a pest by many, and the attention axis of the research and combat teams is aimed at this small but stubborn manner, since the problem of invasive species is becoming increasingly important, as the information from Tagesschau illustrate.