Alarm in Tübingen: Dangerous ant species is spreading rapidly!

Alarm in Tübingen: Dangerous ant species is spreading rapidly!

The invasive ant species Tapinoma magnum is spreading rapidly in Germany and is causing serious problems, particularly in Baden-Württemberg. Originally from the southern Mediterranean, the “great glandular ant” has now spread across larger parts of Germany, including Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. The ant is mainly found along the Rhine and in cities such as Stuttgart, Esslingen and Kehl, where it is already causing considerable damage. As Merkur reports, the ants in Kehl particularly attacked power and internet cables, which led to repeated outages.

In Tübingen, residents have been desperately fighting against the invasive ants for weeks. On Beethovenstrasse, residents have tried various methods to drive away the newcomers, including using kettles of boiling water. However, there is no success and the city administration is under pressure to find solutions. In this context, biologist Christian Wolff confirmed that Tapinoma magnum was only recently detected in Tübingen. The city has already taken measures to curb the ant population, but without resounding success. Lukas Haderlein from the public order office points out that there is currently no panacea to combat this aggressive ant species.

The threat to infrastructure

This type of ant is not only annoying, but can also cause massive damage. They penetrate warm areas of buildings, especially distribution boxes and cable ducts, which can lead to short circuits and corrosion. The damage should not be underestimated; Tapinoma magnum can form supercolonies consisting of hundreds of thousands to millions of animals. A strong sign of this ant's expansion are the conspicuous mounds of sand and earth around the nest entrances, which indicate its massive structure.

The reasons for the spread of Tapinoma magnum are varied. Experts suspect that it was introduced via Mediterranean potted plants, such as olive trees, which is particularly important for vegetable growers. The Ministry of the Environment in Baden-Württemberg has responded and commissioned state natural history museums to conduct research on this invasive ant in order to develop further strategies. In this regard, a network of affected communities in southern Germany is being planned to exchange experiences and find solutions.

The situation clearly shows that a coordinated approach is necessary. The use of insecticides is not recommended by experts, as they not only do not permanently eliminate the colonies, but also pose health risks. Communities like Kehl instead rely on hot water devices to keep the ant population in check, but this is only considered to be partially successful. Therefore, the affected citizens in Tübingen have little hope of a quick remedy. It is up to the authorities and scientists to develop effective measures to finally stop the spread of Tapinoma magnum.

Mercury reports that the city of Tübingen is closely monitoring the situation as residents continue to tirelessly fight against the spread of the ants. It remains to be seen whether the planned measures and the cooperation of the communities will soon ease the tense situation. It is becoming clear that not only the quality of life of residents but also critical infrastructure such as hospitals and schools must be protected.