Suna ca un film de groaza: milioane de furnici care musca si inteapa ne invadeaza. Un cerc de otrava trasat pe pamant le opreste doar pentru o zi. Apoi, hoarde intregi de insecte navalesc din nou, impreuna cu larvele lor. Este un exemplu extrem de ceea ce s-ar putea intampla atunci cand furnicile - care pot opri o intreaga centrala - sunt nesupravegheate.
Controlul acestor insecte costa insa mii de dolari. Iar povestea este cat se poate de reala, spusa de cineva care studiaza furnicile de zece ani de zile.
"Cateva luni mai tarziu, daca inchideam ochii, puteam sa le vad cum se misca" spune Joe MacGown, care se ocupa de combaterea invaziilor de furnici, muste si gandaci, la Universitatea din Mississippi.
Acum, el se ocupa de problema "furnicilor paroase-demente".
Aceste insecte sunt poreclite "demente", "nebune", pentru ca fiecare furnica dintr-un musuroi se misca atat de rapid, incat, daca sunt filmate, in clip se va vedea ca si cum este vorba de o derulare a secventei video respective - explica specialistii, citati de Associated Press.
De asemenea, sunt numite "paroase" din cauza firelor dense de par din jurul ochilor, care le fac sa arate mult mai lucioase decat celelalte specii.
Acum, aceste furnici sunt in continua miscare, indreptandu-se spre Florida, Texas, Mississippi si Louisiana. In Texas au invadat casele si centrele industriale, adica toate ariile urbane si rurale. Insectele calatoresc cu ajutorul containerelor, in baloturile de fan, pe plante, motociclete si utilitarele aflate in miscare.
De asemenea, furnicile paroase-demente pot cuceri si stupii. Un apicultor din Texas a pierdut 100 de stupi in 2009.
Nu in ultimul rand, aceasta specie poate pune in pericol un echipament industrial. Daca o furnica este electrocutata, atunci cand moare elibereaza un impuls chimic, interpretat de restul coloniei de furnici ca o amenintare la adresa lor, spune Roger Gold, profesor de entomologie in Texas.
"Imediat, vin si celelalte furnici. Si, inainte sa-ti dai seama, ai un intreg musuroi." a adaugat el.
Un sistem computerizat care controla niste valve de conducte a fost scurtcircuitat de doua ori in aproximativ 35 de zile, spune Tom Rasberry, exterminator de profesie. El a gasit primele specimene din Texas in zona Houston, in 2002.
"Aceste insecte pot sa inchida pur si simplu un complex industrial in valoare de milioane de dolari." spune el.
Si, comparativ, cu alte furnici, aceasta specie trebuie exterminata in masa. De exemplu, a spus Roger Gold, daca 100.000 de furnici demente sunt ucise de pesticide, vor veni in schimb alte cateva milioane.
Nu se stie sigur, dar se banuieste ca aceasta specie provine din America de Sud. Prezenta acestor furnici a fost semnalata prima data in Caraibe, pe la sfarsitul secolului 19.
It's no joke. Hairy ant half-dementia invade U.S.
Sounds like a horror movie: Millions of ants that bite and sting us invade. A circle drawn on the ground to stop the poison just for a day. Then the whole insect hordes burst again, along with their larvae. It is an extreme example of what might happen when the ants - which can stop an entire plant - are unsupervised.
Control of these insects, but cost thousands of dollars. And the story is very real, told by someone who studies ants ten years.
"A few months later, if he closes his eyes, I could see how they move," says Joe MacGown, which deals with combating invasions of ants, flies and cockroaches, the University of Mississippi.
Now he deals with the problem of "hairy-crazy ants".
These insects are nicknamed "crazy", "crazy" because each ant mound in a move so rapidly that, if filmed, the video will be seen as it is a development of the respective video sequence - experts explained, quoted by the Associated Press.
They are also called "hairy" due to dense hair hairs around the eyes, which make them look more polished than the other species.
Now, these ants are on the move, heading to Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. In Texas invaded homes and industrial centers, that all urban and rural areas. Insects travel with containers, in bales of hay, plants, motorcycles and moving utilities.
Also, hairy, crazy ants can conquer and hives. A beekeeper in Texas lost 100 hives in 2009.
Last but not least, this species may endanger industrial equipment. If an ant is electrocuted when the momentum dies chemical release, played the rest of the colony of ants as a threat to them, said Roger Gold, professor of entomology at Texas.
"Once, wine and other ants. And before you realize you have a whole mound." he said.
A computer system which controlled some pipe valve was shorted twice in about 35 days, says Tom Rasberry, exterminator by profession. He found the first specimens of Texas in Houston area in 2002.
"These insects can simply close a facility worth millions of dollars." he says.
And compared with other ants, this species should be exterminated in mass. For example, said Roger Gold, if 100,000 are killed by pesticides crazy ants will come in exchange other millions.
Nobody knows for sure, but it is suspected that this species comes from South America. The presence of these ants was detected first in the Caribbean in the late 19th century.
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