The Baden border town of Kehl has been battling invasive ants since autumn. The insects come from the Mediterranean and even cause power outages. The mayor is asking for support – and the fight against the ants can be very expensive.
In the fight against an invasive species of ant, Kehl’s mayor Wolfram Britz is sounding the alarm and calling for support from the state’s Ministry of the Environment and other authorities. Municipalities must not be left alone, the town of Kehl in the Ortenau district announced.
“From our point of view, it is urgently necessary to establish effective networks of representatives from research, business and politics,” explained Britz, a non-party local politician. Action must be swift, coordinated and consistent.
According to the municipality, invasive ants of the Mediterranean species Tapinoma magnum have so far been discovered in two parts of the city. The city has been fighting the ants with hot foam since autumn – but they have multiplied explosively. In the Marlen district, there is a so-called super colony with millions of animals on an area of several hectares.
The black insects have already invaded houses and caused power and internet outages, the city announced. The city’s environmental officer Gregor Koschate said: “There is currently nothing that is guaranteed to work against the invasive ant.” Fighting just one super colony could cost the city at least 50,000 euros if it were carried out on a weekly basis.