Super-Ant Taking Over Europe

Thursday, December 04, 2008

http://www.livescience.com/animals/081203-ant-invasion.html

Yay! Another fear-mongering scare story. Did it take you in?

I thought not!

“An ant species that originated in the Black Sea region has invaded more than 100 areas across Europe and is moving north. Scientists say if it is not stopped, it will reach northern Germany, Scandinavia and Britain and could invade the whole world.”

Right.

One hundred areas.

Which are/ how big? Ten ants occupy an area of, say, one square centimeter, a hundred ants would occupy a hundred areas, if each ant is said to occupy its own area.

A hundred areas each ten thousand square miles might be serious. A hundred ants nests is not.

Think clearly about this and eliminate fear from your life. Or stop reading silly articles based on non-facts.

“The pest ... destroys native ant species as it invades new territory.”. Of course it does. All species of living things do that. Humans do it. Elephants do it, ginger cats do it. Species that are successful (and they are by definition the only species alive on this earth) are successful because they have harbored resources that were being used by unsuccessful species. That’s why we don’t have any Cro-Magnon humans around any more. Or saber-toothed tigers.

“Its rapid spread through Europe and Asia is the most recent example ... that may become a global problem ...”. Of course. the globe is full of problems. Members of all species solve problems almost every minute of their lives. Think of birds, butterflies, spawning salmon, plants competing for sunlight. How am I going to get enough food? Where will I find a mate? How will I escape this predator? There is no lack of problems for any of us, and one more isn’t going to make any difference. Really.

“Ants thrive all over the world because they are very adaptive.” Like cockroaches, mice, and humans. That’s what being alive means, in any part of the world. Adapting to new levels of oxygen, temperature, food and energy sources.

Ants are good at it. Why are we surprised that one branch is exploiting a new loophole?

“Unbelievable numbers”. I love these phrases. If it truly is unbelievable, why are you asking me to believe it? File this phrase in the same mental trash can as the “Incredible offer”, which will adorn the flyer you find in your mailbox this morning.

"... I simply could not believe there could be so many garden ants in the same lawn," said ... researcher .... But Oh! Come on! Who hasn’t at some time dug into an ant’s nest and watched thousands of ants spill out? Who cannot contemplate that ants nests are all through the back lawn or the vegetable plot. Look up, stare across your property boundary to all the other back yards of all the other houses in all the other streets in all the other subdivisions. Do you really think that yours is the only nest on the planet?

And you aren’t even an ant-researcher.

“So how do they spread across a continent? They infest potted plants, and humans carry them far and wide, the researchers said.”

Nah.

Ants were spreading successfully long before we had potted plants. Or humans. Or even potted humans.

Ants are good at spreading. And adapting. that’s why we have ants worldwide, with continual waves of new species lapping at the shores of the old.

“... it is about time we understand their biology and this study is a major step in that direction ... ”

Ah hah! The truth will out! It’s all about scaring up some more grant money.

I thought so.

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