Posted on 09/12/2023 10:54:49 AM PDT by Red Badger
The invasive red fire ant, or Solenopsis invicta, has been found in Europe for the first time and unless quickly halted could quickly alter the continent's ecosystems, researchers reported Monday. Photo by Insects Unlocked/Wikimedia Commons
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Sept. 11 (UPI) -- The red imported fire ant, classified as one of the worst and costliest invasive species in the world, has been spotted in Europe for the first time, researchers warned Monday.
Although there have been several "interceptions" of the destructive and stinging South American ant species previously in Europe, an established, mature colony had never been found on the continent until this past winter in Italy, according to the authors of a study published in the journal Current Biology.
The team of Spanish and Italian researchers found 88 red fire ant nests across 5 hectares (12 acres) near the Sicilian commercial port city of Syracuse and determined through genetic testing that the colonies could have come via shipping routes from China or the United States.
The authors said they used wind tracking and species distribution modeling to determined that half of the urban areas in Europe "are already suitable" for infestation by Solenopsis invicta and that climate warming expected under current trends "will favor the expansion of this invasive ant."
Large cities such as Barcelona, Rome, London or Paris could be "considerably affected" by this invasive species, which can impact people's lifestyles due to its abundance and aggressiveness, the researchers warned.
"S. invicta is one of the worst invasive species. It can spread alarmingly quickly," lead author Mattia Menchetti of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Spain said in a release. "Finding this species in Italy was a big surprise, but we knew this day would come."
Unless authorities respond forcefully to the spread of the fire ants, there could be serious consequences for Europe's ecosystems, agriculture and human health, the authors warned, noting its sting is painful and irritating and can cause pustules and allergic reactions, possibly leading to anaphylactic shock.
"Coordinated efforts for early detection and rapid response in the region are essential to successfully manage this new threat, before it spreads uncontrollably," said Roger Vila, principal investigator at the Spanish institute's Butterfly Diversity and Evolution group.
The researchers said the public could play a key role in the detection of S. invicta, considering the ants are frequently found in urban and adjacent areas. It is fairly easy for untrained observers to detect their presence due to their painful stings and the characteristic mounds of their nests.
The rarest kind!
Must be protected!...................
Blame it on Trump. Be the first of likely many to say that.
It’s caused by White Supremacy !
Must have been brought there by the WEF for a supply of bugs to eat and be happy.
Ant Truism: Never trust Whitey!
re: “Large cities such as Barcelona, Rome, London or Paris could be “considerably affected” by this invasive species,”
Above a certain latitude, they don’t fare well. Its the cold they don’t do well in. A few winters back many of the fire ant mounds/population died back and we had less of a problem for a few years ... roughly 33 degrees N in Texas.
Yes, but with each successive generation they adapt more and more......................
Many, many moons ago, I had a double college major of Spanish and archaeology. Eventually it became apparent that archaeology was no way to pay a mortgage. I did get to work on an ancient Mayan site in Central America. Some days, instead of excavation, we worked on mapping as much of the city as possible. This one person (idiot) was not paying attention to his surroundings. In the middle of the jungle, he sat down on a red ant hill. The ants did not take too kindly to him. We stripped his clothing and beat the ants off of him. He was not stung too much. The professor running the dig did not send him outside the camp again.
I wonder which political party he belongs to?
The Green Party....................
Years ago, as a younger lad, I was working on a crew putting in big sewer pipes, maybe 30 miles from Houston. I had moved there from up north. Never heard of fire ants.
Tall weeds and dirt. Guy sends me out with a surveying measuring stick, says go way out, find somewhere you can still see me, stand there with the stick. I’m wearing boots and boot cut jeans.
I find this nice tall hump to stand on. Proud of myself for finding it.
60 seconds later I’m yelling, slapping my pants, then taking them off FAST, oops boots still on, pants inside out, hopping around, falling over, slapping my bare legs...
They laughed all day at that.
All they gotta do is crawl into a shipping container in Texas and survive an ocean voyage to Europe.
Pour coffee grounds on the anthill
OK I’ll try it.
I prefer the results of something a bit hotter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGJ2jMZ-gaI
re: “Yes, but with each successive generation they adapt more and more......................”
SMH. No.
Those damn ants were FAR worse 40 years ago when I moved in here, and the last couple years I’ve had trouble with the read sugar ants instead ... NOT a fire ant in sight at presnt, and the AMDRO has stayed on the shelf.
There ARE basic factors at play here that works against the type of thing you propose, and sans evidence, you’re spitting in the wind. I can’t exactly account for WHY the fire ants here have not been much a problem, BUT, we have had several cold winters IN SUCCESSION.
Maybe it was FR where I read that fire ants can’t tolerate “crazy ants”. (a smaller, hyperactive ant).
I don’t know how to advise someone on importing “crazy ants” , but they’re definitely preferable, as they don’t bite. (A minor nuisance, by comparison).
Another method, was shown to me in Florida by a New Yorker.
He simply stood over a mound with RAID ant & roach spray and nearly emptied the can. The mound never recovered.
Pretty amazing!
I used to pour gasoline on them, wait a minute for the fumes to permeate the nest, then toss on a match.
It killed the grass, but was quite satisfying to someone who has been bitten.
Here in NW Florida we have Caribbean ‘Crazy’ Ants, that drive out fire ants. First named by a Texas Exterminator.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasberry_crazy_ant
Crazy Ants look just like normal ants, and they do bite but not like fire ants. They are called ‘crazy’ because they appear to be running around in random circles like someone kicked their mound.
I don’t mind them as much as Fire Ants.
The ants you describe sound exactly like these ants............
Pour it directly onto the pile. You can search the dilution mixture.
Dirt Doctor? I cant remember.
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