A European species of ants have recently been thriving on high floors of New York buildings. They swarm rooms in search of water and don’t rely on human food.
Samantha Kennett, a graduate student at Kennesaw State University studying urban ant ecology, said that the “[ants] are everywhere.” This deduction is supported by many stories from Reddit of sudden ant infestations. One user wrote, “[w]oke up this morning to ants crawling around my living room. I live on the 3rd floor and have never had problems with any insects.” Some citizens have reported ants as high as the 25th floor of an apartment building.
This species of ants, Lasius emarginatus, rely on honeydew as their primary food source. Honeydew is a sugar-filled liquid produced by certain insects that also is a sustainable source of carbohydrates.
Bees are another insect that feeds on honeydew. Contrary to expectations, New York contains a high concentration of bees and needs bees as they transfer pollen from one plant to another. Honeydew is now being split between these beneficial and non-beneficial bugs.
Thankfully, these ants are susceptible to ant traps. Many Redditors have commented that they were able to diminish the infestation with liquid baits.
However, not all invasive species are so easy to dispose of. Lionfish is one such invasive species. They first disseminated into new habitats when they were released from aquariums. Lionfish have few predators outside their native waters and eat so many fish that a single lionfish can reduce native fish joining a coral reef by 79 percent.
This also leads to a cascade of adverse effects such as a surge in algae, lowered fish caught during fishing, and reduced oxygen in the ocean. John M. McHugh, former United States Secretary of the Army, stressed this issue as he said, “[a]aquatic invasive species are destroying the environment, damaging fisheries, and costing American taxpayers billions of dollars annually.”
Worst of all, there is no quick or easy solution to most invasive species. Currently, since these species’ growth is not naturally hampered, humans must act as their predators. Whether it is aquatic fish or ants, spreading awareness is the first of many steps on the road to saving countless ecosystems.
article: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1657469576418x451469103498758800/In%20N.Y.C.%20Apartments%2C%20the%20Ants%20Go%20Marching%20Up%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
Samantha Kennett, a graduate student at Kennesaw State University studying urban ant ecology, said that the “[ants] are everywhere.” This deduction is supported by many stories from Reddit of sudden ant infestations. One user wrote, “[w]oke up this morning to ants crawling around my living room. I live on the 3rd floor and have never had problems with any insects.” Some citizens have reported ants as high as the 25th floor of an apartment building.
This species of ants, Lasius emarginatus, rely on honeydew as their primary food source. Honeydew is a sugar-filled liquid produced by certain insects that also is a sustainable source of carbohydrates.
Bees are another insect that feeds on honeydew. Contrary to expectations, New York contains a high concentration of bees and needs bees as they transfer pollen from one plant to another. Honeydew is now being split between these beneficial and non-beneficial bugs.
Thankfully, these ants are susceptible to ant traps. Many Redditors have commented that they were able to diminish the infestation with liquid baits.
However, not all invasive species are so easy to dispose of. Lionfish is one such invasive species. They first disseminated into new habitats when they were released from aquariums. Lionfish have few predators outside their native waters and eat so many fish that a single lionfish can reduce native fish joining a coral reef by 79 percent.
This also leads to a cascade of adverse effects such as a surge in algae, lowered fish caught during fishing, and reduced oxygen in the ocean. John M. McHugh, former United States Secretary of the Army, stressed this issue as he said, “[a]aquatic invasive species are destroying the environment, damaging fisheries, and costing American taxpayers billions of dollars annually.”
Worst of all, there is no quick or easy solution to most invasive species. Currently, since these species’ growth is not naturally hampered, humans must act as their predators. Whether it is aquatic fish or ants, spreading awareness is the first of many steps on the road to saving countless ecosystems.
article: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1657469576418x451469103498758800/In%20N.Y.C.%20Apartments%2C%20the%20Ants%20Go%20Marching%20Up%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
