Invasive Supercolo ny of Biting Ants Terrorizes French Village, Defying Insecticides

These very aggressive ants are found everywhere (gardens, houses, etc.) in the municipality of Petit-Landau. They were most likely transported in green plants from Morocco, Spain or Italy, according to RFI, highlighting the resistance of these ants to insecticides.

This massive invasion of ants is disrupting the peace of the residents. "Gardening is complicated because we really have thousands of ants. As soon as we put our hand in the ground, we have them everywhere. My children can hardly play outside because they get bitten by the ants. In fact, it hurts them," laments Charline, a resident.

"What we have here in Petit Landau is a super colony. It is polygynous, meaning it has several queens. So, it has an even greater capacity to spread than our own ants," explains André Astric, a member of the Entomological Society of Mulhouse who closely follows the evolution of the ants, estimated at one or even several million in the municipality.