As if colonies comprised of millions of fiery Argentine ants, carpenter ants, pavement ants, Pharaoh, or thief ants weren’t already a full plate for Canadian homeowners, a non-native species – more aggressive and potentially dangerous to humans, pets,
As if colonies comprised of millions of fiery Argentine ants, carpenter ants, pavement ants, Pharaoh, or thief ants weren’t already a full plate for Canadian homeowners, a non-native species – more aggressive and potentially dangerous to humans, pets, and livestock – has been making its way into our country. The European fire ant, Myrmica rubra, a common species of red ants found all over Europe and in some parts of Asia, has first been spotted in British Columbia in 2010 and has since been reported in several regions in Richmond, Ontario, Burnaby
, Toronto, Victoria, North Vancouver, and Courtenay. Although they share the same name, they are only distant relatives of the “real” fire ants of the Solenopsis species.
Despite their similarity to native species in appearance, experts warn that the European fire ants are more difficult to kill and can deliver a vicious sting to both humans and animals even without being provoked. They are also very territorial and can swarm in the thousands when disturbed, preferring areas near water, irrigated lawns, deciduous forests, old fields, under rocks, and 3-4 feet down in moist soil. A single queen colony can have up to 150,000 ants, while colonies with multiple queens will often exceed 300,000 in population and up to four nests per square meter.
And they spread like fire. Once they’ve settled into a favorable habitat, they will infiltrate the area in a matter of days, most of the times through movement of infested garden materials, such as soil, potted plants, and mulch. The colonies spread naturally through “colony budding
,” a colony multiplication process by fragmentation of primary nests (one or more queens leave a nest with a group of workers to set up a new one, typically within a one-mile range from the main nest).
The government is aware of European’s fire ant presence in the aforementioned urban areas in Canada and has initiated collaboration with several local and national non-government organizations, as well as fire ant experts from all over the country, to determine the most effective control options for current and future invasions. Their joint action plan objectives, as stated in the Fire Ant 2012 Planning Session Report
(June session), include:
• Improve mapping of fire ant distribution across the country
• Improve communication and education
• Identify relevant legislation/regulations
• Increase research
• 