With global heating, the continent will become much more suitable for the species and help its spread across Europe. In today’s climate, half of the urban areas in Europe would be climatically suitable for it, including large cities such as London, Paris, Rome and Barcelona. The red fire ant is a heat-loving species but the researchers concluded that it could establish itself in approximately 7% of Europe. New Zealand is the only country to have successfully eradicated the red fire ant after it appeared the country in 2001. Smith added: “We’re getting increasingly frustrated at government delays over biosecurity measures.”Īustralia is spending A$400m (£205m) on the ant’s eradication but its government has been criticised for failing to act decisively enough to remove the species. While the EU has updated its “species of concern” list to include the red fire ant, the British government has not updated its list since Brexit despite calls from experts concerned about new invasive species. In Europe, the ant has previously been found in imported products in Spain, Finland and the Netherlands but its establishment in the wild on the continent has never before been confirmed. Ants are notorious for being able to spread quickly.” “We can do something to stop these arriving but once an invasive ant species is here it’s going to be very hard to eradicate. There’s widespread concern about these non-native invasive ant species of which this is one of a handful which are on the cusp of making it into Europe. The EU has banned the export of soil from the UK but the UK has not taken reciprocal measures to stop imports, mostly via the horticultural trade.ĭavid Smith, of Buglife, said: “It’s an open door for non-native species that are soil-dwellers. The charity Buglife said invasive ant species were easily spread when plants in soil are imported into Britain and called on the government to ban the import of soil. Roger Vila, the principal investigator at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology’s Butterfly Diversity and Evolution Lab, who led the study, said: “Coordinated efforts for early detection and rapid response in the region are essential to successfully manage this new threat, before it spreads uncontrollably.” According to genetic analyses in a study published in Current Biology, the invasive colonies could have come from China or the US. Researchers have identified 88 red fire ant nests across 5 hectares (12 acres) near the city of Syracuse, in Sicily, Italy. The red fire ant is the fifth most costly invasive species in the world, spreading via human trade from its native South America into Mexico, the Caribbean, Australia and the US, where it causes an estimated damage of $6bn (£4.8bn) each year. The colonies prey on invertebrates, larger vertebrates and plants, destroying native plants and out-competing native ants, insects and herbivores for food. This may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire.The ant, considered one of the most destructive invasive species, can rapidly form “super colonies” with multiple queens.
FIRE ESCAPE HOW TO
Make sure everyone in the household knows to meet there in case of a fire. Choose an outside meeting place (such as a tree or lamp post) that is a safe distance from the home.
FIRE ESCAPE WINDOWS
Make sure all doors and windows leading outside can be easily opened. Know at least 2 ways out of every room, if possible.Discuss the plan with everyone in your household. Make a home fire escape plan. Draw a map or blueprint of your home, showing all doors and windows.Plan ahead so that everyone in your household knows what to do and where to go in the event of a fire. If a fire breaks out in your home, you may have only a few minutes to get out safely once the smoke alarm sounds. It is important to practice your home fire escape plan regularly so you will be prepared for an emergency. In the event of a fire, you will not have time to consider your escape options. Most fires occur in the middle of the night, when people are sleeping.
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