Recently a species of ant called Lasius emarginatus has been found all over New York apartments. What’s worrying is the fact that these pests do not just stay on the first floor; they climb up, into higher stories.
Dubbed the ManhattAnt, this species, as Dodai Stewart of The New York Times writes, “has been absolutely thriving in New York.” Samantha Kennet, a graduate student at Kennesaw State University who studies urban ant ecology, “found Lasius emarginatus in the trees all up and down Broadway, as well as in midtown.” From these descriptions, it seems as though the ManhattAnt could become a huge problem in the near future.
It’s already the most common ant in New York City, and “[j]ust how high Lasius emarginatus will climb is unknown.” The ManhattAnt could make its way into even the tallest buildings and would then pose as not only a nuisance but also a potential threat. With ants all over the place, threatening to crawl onto people, emergency evacuation could become dangerously slow. While the ManhattAnt doesn’t seem to be aggressive to humans, the prospect of ants scuttling over arms and legs isn’t a very appealing idea to most.
In the worst possible scenario, Lasius emarginatus might invade other cities nearby. An ant species that slowly spreads all over America is a horrifying prospect to imagine.
Still, we can be assured that the ManhattAnt isn’t looking specifically to eat your food. Dr. Rob Dunn, a professor whose team discovered the species, “believes any ManhattAnts New Yorkers see inside are probably looking for water — and are likely not there to stay.” Furthermore, the ManhattAnt doesn’t eat human food, such as crumbs.
Even with this information, though, ants are still terrifying to think of on a large-scale basis, and it would be best for all New Yorkers to exterminate the pests as quickly as possible. For everyone’s sake.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/10/nyregion/in-nyc-apartments-the-ants-go-
Dubbed the ManhattAnt, this species, as Dodai Stewart of The New York Times writes, “has been absolutely thriving in New York.” Samantha Kennet, a graduate student at Kennesaw State University who studies urban ant ecology, “found Lasius emarginatus in the trees all up and down Broadway, as well as in midtown.” From these descriptions, it seems as though the ManhattAnt could become a huge problem in the near future.
It’s already the most common ant in New York City, and “[j]ust how high Lasius emarginatus will climb is unknown.” The ManhattAnt could make its way into even the tallest buildings and would then pose as not only a nuisance but also a potential threat. With ants all over the place, threatening to crawl onto people, emergency evacuation could become dangerously slow. While the ManhattAnt doesn’t seem to be aggressive to humans, the prospect of ants scuttling over arms and legs isn’t a very appealing idea to most.
In the worst possible scenario, Lasius emarginatus might invade other cities nearby. An ant species that slowly spreads all over America is a horrifying prospect to imagine.
Still, we can be assured that the ManhattAnt isn’t looking specifically to eat your food. Dr. Rob Dunn, a professor whose team discovered the species, “believes any ManhattAnts New Yorkers see inside are probably looking for water — and are likely not there to stay.” Furthermore, the ManhattAnt doesn’t eat human food, such as crumbs.
Even with this information, though, ants are still terrifying to think of on a large-scale basis, and it would be best for all New Yorkers to exterminate the pests as quickly as possible. For everyone’s sake.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/10/nyregion/in-nyc-apartments-the-ants-go-
