Horror-Ant threatens Tübingen: spreading ensures alarm mood!

Horror-Ant threatens Tübingen: spreading ensures alarm mood!

Tübingen, Deutschland - The situation about the invasive antifinoma Magnum, also known as the "horror-ant", is heading in Baden-Württemberg. The residents of Beethovenweg in Tübingen are particularly affected, where the aggressive small crawling animals are increasingly causing problems. Diese Ameisen gelten als echten Ärgernis, wie Schwäbische.de berichtet. It is particularly worrying that they were already responsible for electricity and internet failures and the closure of a playground in the border town of Kehl.

The aggressive spread of this type of ant should not be underestimated. It forms large colonies that can grow up to 20 hectares and often penetrate houses. The damage you do not only have public places, but also private properties. Tapinoma Magnum is harmless to people, but cause considerable damage to paths and infrastructure, as also emphasized [zdf.de] (https://www.zdfheute.de/panorama/ameeise-tapinoma-magnum-breitung --100.html).

The reaction of the authorities

The city of Tübingen takes the concerns of the population seriously. Mayor Gundula Schäfer-Vogel has already visited the affected residents in order to get a specific picture of the situation. She makes it clear that her city is not obliged to combat the ants unless there is a risk of massive damage in public space. Nevertheless, Tübingen put together a package of measures to keep an eye on the spread and, if necessary, react quickly.

A special vehicle for combating hot water is already being prepared. This strategy is not without reason, since they already used Kehl, where the ants have led to closing a playground. In this city, the authorities have set up at least two full -time positions to cope with the ants plague, which has caused high costs. This could provide an indication that the fight against tapinoma magnum is anything but simple - conventional insecticides are only of limited effect, and the ant population seems to grow quickly, as rnd.de in an analysis explains.

research and outlook

Scientists from the state natural history museums in Stuttgart and Karlsruhe also take a close look at the spread of tapinoma Magnum. A new research project at the Stuttgart Natural History Museum not only examines the distribution of the ant, but also looking for suitable solutions for the management of this invasive way.

So where do we stand in dealing with this threat? Climate change could promote the spread of invasive species such as the tapinoma Magnum, and the events in Germany, where the first evidence was already registered in Rhineland-Palatinate in 2009, give rise to concern. In view of the rapid spread of regions such as Kehl, Reinheim and beyond - up to adjacent federal states such as Thuringia and Saxony - it is high time that authorities and research work together to effectively contain this plague. A package of measures by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Environment is intended to help set up an extra list for non-invasive bird species in order to be able to react faster.