Super-mate colonies are invading Europe. Cause blackouts and even destroy roads

Huge ant colonies Painted magnumwhich reach 20 million individuals, have been causing energy cuts and internet faults in various regions of Europe. The phenomenon, which has already caused damage to thousands of euros, seems to be spreading through the old continent.

A kind of “super-free” can excavate tunnels under roadssometimes taking significant damage on the roads, and electrical cablescausing energy cuts, internet faults and thousands of euros at losses.

The ant species in question, called Painted magnumis native to the Mediterranean Region – Spain, Italy and countries in the northern Africa-but it has moved rapidly to the north, having already reached France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

There are also registered cases of T. great more east of the continentin Slovenia, Hungary, Greece and Azerbaijan.

According to the British newspaper, when a T. great The insect releases a smell of ranked butter.

The species does not cause painful bites, but it is a nuisance for the local population and may end up with indigenous ant populations, says Niall GallagherTechnical Manager of the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), Ao.

“These ants form vast super coloniesmove native species and can cause structural problems when digging under floors, ”notes Gallagher.“ The species spread north mainly by imports Horticultural – especially Plants in vessels and trees from the Mediterranean“.

These ants have a “remarkable cold tolerance“, Getting for example survive the rigorous winters Germans, and can thrive in urban environments – such as Patios, sidewalks and garden centers.

One of the most worrying aspects is the size of the super colonies formed by the T. great – that reach 20 million ants and occupy areas of 24 hectares, due to their “tireless determination To expand, ”says The Sun.

When two colonies meet, they merge “in alliance” instead of attacking – gradually forming a massive colony with multiple queens. Build the nests on the ground and, as a result, move the earth under the asphalt – Causing the sinking of roads and sidewalks.

In the German city of Kehl, the supercolonies led to Interruptions in the calls Electric and internet, after the insects rolled out electrical cables. A playground in the city TEve to end in summer passed because a colony of T. great It had completely excavated under the whole area, reports.

Switzerland, where the species was first discovered in 2018, recently recorded a Infersing of these insects in Zurich. In the Oetwil anr Der Limmat region, a Supercolony infested a potato field the size of seven soccer fields. “There were so many ants that you could no longer see the floor,” a local inhabitant told SRF.

As T. great are from blackthey measure an average of 3 mm, and they look a lot like the black garden ant (Lasius Niger). Although even experts can have difficulty in distinguishing the two species only by appearance, the T. great It can be identified by a distinct behavior of “procession.”

The colonies of these invasive ants form visible rails Through sidewalks and climbing buildings, often on large and coordinated lines. For an uncooked eye, it may seem like an active black garden ant colony, but the great ORGANIZED VOLUME AND MOVEMENT may be revealing signs of T. great.

There are no records of registered pests of T. great in Portugalwhich has Four endogenous ant species: T. erraticum, T. Ibericum, t.Madeirense e
T. simrothi.