First successes in the fight against the large gland ant in Offenbach!

First successes in the fight against the large gland ant in Offenbach!

In Offenbach-Bürgel, something is happening against the invasive giants among the ants: the large gland ant (Tapinoma magnum) is being fought with a lot of enthusiasm. The first successes are already evident. Thanks to the tireless efforts of pest controllers, who have been checking the nests every week since mid-August, the efforts appear to be bearing fruit. The use of hot water from a tanker has proven to be an effective method of attacking the small pests Rheinmainverlag reported.

The nests are particularly noticeable because they throw up sand on sidewalks and crawling paths. In order to keep a close eye on the whole thing, Tobias Milbrat from quality assurance keeps the spread of the colonies under control. City treasurer Martin Wilhelm and Christian Loose, the deputy manager of the company's own operations, were also able to take part in one of the most recent missions. Wilhelm is optimistic: there are hardly any ants to be seen on the treated areas.

The strategies of combat

But it's not just the city itself that is challenged. Property owners are also asked to take action. You have the option of hiring a pest controller or taking action yourself by pouring hot water over the nests. Alternatively, nematodes – small, thread-like worms – can also be used to combat the disease. These strategies are necessary because the species is considered particularly unpleasant, although it is harmless to humans. But the large gland ants have a bad influence on our infrastructure and can undermine sidewalks and terraces.

The large gland ant is native to the Mediterranean region and is now spreading invasively across Central Europe. It has become particularly widespread in Western and Central Europe, including Germany, since the 1990s. Their supercolonies, consisting of hundreds of queens, can reach impressive proportions. Thanks to their way of life, in which they compete with other ant species for food, they could even push back native species, which ultimately endangers biological diversity - a brilliant affair, too Wikipedia treated in detail.

A look into biology

Visually, the large glandular ant workers have a fascinating appearance: completely black and shiny with orange or reddish mandibles. Their body lengths vary between 2.4 and 5.1 mm, and their lifestyle is omnivorous - over 70 percent of their diet consists of other insects. They are active night workers who can brave snow and rain even in cool temperatures.

The species has been detected in Germany since 2009 and was probably introduced through imported plants, especially from garden centers. Efforts to contain the spread are important because these ruthless crawlers spread wherever humans are at work.

Citizens are called upon to actively participate in this fight against large ants, because the faster and more responsibly the nests are removed, the better for the local wildlife and ultimately for the human infrastructure.