(haipo) For the first time in Israel, the African big-headed Asmite ant, considered one of the 100 most harmful invasive species in the world, has been identified and verified. The ant was located in the Neve Shaanan neighborhood in Haifa, in the area of Givat Hashabshabt and nearby streets, and reports of its presence in the Hadar neighborhood are being investigated. The Haifa Municipality, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and Tel Aviv University have begun a monitoring and control operation, while at the same time urging residents to report suspicious sightings.
Identified in Neve Sha'anan, additional reports are being reviewed by Hadar
The Ministry of Environmental Protection announced that, following reports from residents, the African big-headed Assim ant (Pheidole megacephala) was located in Haifa. This is an invasive species originating in Africa, which has spread over the years to large areas of the world, mainly in areas with a warm climate. Professionals are now working to map the hotspots of infestation and to examine whether the ant has already established itself in other areas of the city.
May displace native species and harm agriculture
The Asma big-headed ant is considered an invasive species with a high reproductive and dispersal capacity. Its colonies may include several queens and form extensive networks of cooperative nests. It feeds on a variety of food sources, including insects, seeds, and organic matter.
Its establishment can harm ecosystems, including by crowding out native ant species and harming a variety of arthropods, snails, and slugs. The ant can also prey on small animals, including baby birds, amphibians, and reptiles, and disrupt ecological processes, such as seed dispersal by ants.
In addition to the potential harm to nature, the ant may cause damage to agriculture. It is capable of nurturing aphids that are harmful to plants and protecting them from their natural enemies. Its spread may also affect infrastructure.
This is how they try to stop the spread of ants
The Ministry of Environmental Protection is working in collaboration with the Haifa Municipality, Tel Aviv University, and other professional bodies to expand monitoring, locate additional hotspots, and examine treatment methods appropriate to the climate and environmental conditions in Israel.
The Haifa Municipality has begun a pilot to test the effectiveness of pesticides against the invasive species. As part of the experiment, four plots were selected where the ant was identified, and a different pesticide was tested in each of them. The goal of the pilot is to identify the most effective treatment method under local conditions.
Representatives of the Haifa District at the Ministry of Environmental Protection are monitoring the progress and results of the experiment every week. At the same time, mapping and monitoring activities are continuing, with the aim of estimating the scope of the phenomenon and reducing the risk of the ant spreading.
The responsibility for dealing with pest infestations in public areas lies with the local authority. Accordingly, the Ministry of Environmental Protection is providing professional support to the Haifa Municipality and guiding it to expand monitoring and pest control activities.
Dr. Shai Reicher, Director of the Pest and Pest Control Division at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said that identifying a new invasive species requires rapid and systematic action, before it becomes established and spreads to other areas. He said that although the ant does not pose a health risk to humans, it may cause significant damage to ecosystems and damage to agriculture.
Reicher also emphasized the importance of cooperation with residents, noting that reports of suspicious sightings can help locate outbreaks, focus treatment efforts, and reduce the risk of the invasive species spreading.
How do you identify the ant and where do you report it?
The large-headed Asmite ant is characterized by a brown color, with the center of the body lighter and the front and back relatively darker. The size of the ants ranges from two to three millimeters. In a colony, you can see small ants alongside ants with an exceptionally large head, the width of which is about a third of the length of the body.
Other signs that may arouse suspicion are the movement of numerous and fast ants on dense paths, climbing trees, a high density of nests on the ground, and the accumulation of light brown dead ants around the nest.
However, in Israel there are local ant species with similar characteristics, so appearance alone is not enough to determine with certainty that it is the invasive species. Identification requires professional examination.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection calls on Haifa residents to report suspicious sightings, along with photos and the most accurate location possible, by email: [email protected]
Do not move pots and soil from a suspicious area.
One way the ant can spread to new areas is through the unintentional transfer of infected soil, pots, seedlings, and cuttings. As with other invasive species, such transfer can lead to the species becoming established outside of the areas where it was first identified.
Therefore, if the presence of ants is suspected in a particular area, it is recommended to avoid moving soil, flower pots, seedlings, and cuttings from it. Early reporting and avoiding moving potentially infected material may help professionals locate additional hotspots and reduce the spread of ants in Haifa and other areas of Israel.
Like one of the populations here in Israel. Invading and claiming they were here before me. And the name of Israel is not Israel at all!!!