Red fireplace ants: They have a painful sting and might be heading to the UK because of international warming

Red fireplace ants, a damaging invasive species, whose sting is painful and causes irritation and allergic reactions, might be heading to the UK because of international warming, scientists have warned.

The insect has reached Europe for the primary time, researchers from Current Biology have stated, after they discovered practically 90 nests in Italy.

Their report stated: “We documented 88 nests extending over about 4.7 hectares (11.6 acres or 47,000 square metres) during winter 2022/2023.”

They have been discovered “in Sicily, near the city of Syracuse”,… in an space “bordering a river estuary.”

Now it may unfold throughout the continent to the UK, in line with the research group, which used genetic evaluation, wind monitoring and species distribution modelling to foretell its potential vary.

Half of the city areas in Europe are already appropriate and predicted climate warming “will favour the expansion of this invasive ant,” the report, revealed on the journal’s web site, stated.

The creature may be capable of get a foothold, the report stated, “in about 7% of the study region, mainly occupying agricultural areas and, to a lesser extent, urban and protected areas”.

They couldn’t say for certain how or when the hearth ants received there, however the researchers stated they believed the bugs will need to have arrived from someplace with plenty of human exercise, resembling town’s port.

The ants could be aggressive when disturbed and so they have a painful sting, which is irritating to the pores and skin and may trigger allergic reactions.

Local individuals stated ant stings had elevated since 2019, the researchers stated.

Red fireplace ants, or Solenopsis invicta, are categorised as one of many world’s worst alien invasive species, and the fifth costliest.

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In lower than 100 years, the bugs have unfold out from their native South America into Mexico, the Caribbean and Australia through human commerce.

They have now arrived within the US, the place the species causes round $6bn (£4.8bn) of injury annually, CNN stated.

Red fireplace ants can rapidly type tremendous colonies with a number of queens and prey on invertebrates, bigger vertebrates and crops, destroying native crops and driving out native ants, bugs and herbivores by out-competing them for meals.