Marching towards your kitchen, an army of Argentine ants that made the most of the spring heatwave
By David Derbyshire
Last updated at 4:04 PM on 7th June 2011
Patios and kitchens are under attack from an aggressive army of Argentine ants, pest experts warned yesterday.
The insects, one of the most invasive species in the world, have taken advantage of the balmy spring to appear in record numbers across Britain.
The light brown insects are similar to native garden ants and are around 2mm to 3mm long.
Invasive: The Argentinian ants have taken advantage of balmy weather conditions to appear in record numbers across Britain
But they are more ferocious than the British variety, which they can wipe out, and their colonies are much harder to eradicate.
They are also happier to live indoors and will readily create nests under cookers, cupboards and floorboards.
Pest controllers say the number of ant infestations is on the rise in Britain and that an alarming number are of the South American strain.
Last year Rentokil carried out 13 per cent more treatments for ants than in 2009.
'SUPER COLONY' ANTS
All the Argentine ants in Britain, continental Europe, Japan and America belong to the same related 'super-colony' and will refuse to fight each other.
They are brown, around 2-3mm long and hairless.
They have a sweet tooth and milk aphids for 'honeydew' - a sugary secretion.
They have up to eight queens in a colony - compared with just one queen in garden ant nests.
If a colony is dispersed, the queens scatter, allowing each new group to set up a new colony.
Some insecticides encourage the queens to lay eggs, making the colony even bigger.
Pest controllers use slow releasing poison bait which is carried back to the nest by worker ants.
They are brown, around 2-3mm long and hairless.
They have a sweet tooth and milk aphids for 'honeydew' - a sugary secretion.
They have up to eight queens in a colony - compared with just one queen in garden ant nests.
If a colony is dispersed, the queens scatter, allowing each new group to set up a new colony.
Some insecticides encourage the queens to lay eggs, making the colony even bigger.
Pest controllers use slow releasing poison bait which is carried back to the nest by worker ants.
Savvas Othon, the company’s technical director, said Argentine ant populations were likely to rise further in years to come.
‘We are certainly seeing more cases of Argentine ants in the UK,’ he said.
‘An Argentine ant colony cannot be treated with the same sprays and powders that would be used to treat garden ants.
‘If this form of treatment is used, the queens are likely to separate and form satellite colonies, which means that you will end up with several nests.
‘These are often called super-colonies. Argentine ants need to be treated with insect growth regulator.’
There may be as many as eight queens in a colony and some insecticides encourage them to lay eggs, making the nest even bigger.
Argentine ants were once found only in South America but have spread to Asia, North America and Europe in boats, aircraft and lorries.
The colonies are all closely related and refuse to fight each other, which normally happens when ants meet.
As a result there are vast colonies in California and Japan, while a third stretches for nearly 4,000 miles along the Mediterranean coast.
Argentine ants are more ferocious than the British variety, which they can wipe out, and their colonies are much harder to eradicate.
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These Argentine Ants are difficult to control but please note the following steps:
1: Do not use your usual ant killer on them: they may set-up satellite ant nests
2: Use a feed bait which workers take back to the nest.
3: http://www.capy.co.uk/Maxforce_Ant_bait_Stations/p747937_3585145.aspx Should be the trick!
Capybara PC
