However small they may be, as they occur in vast numbers and have several queens, these ants form large colonies and can sometimes cause considerable damage to infrastructure. Furthermore, this species of ant, which is not actually native to this area, has no natural enemies. Tapinoma ants love the heat and tend to settle in areas that can become very hot in summer, such as under paving slabs. As this invasive species is not always easy to spot, the town of Rodgau is now providing general information on its website. There is also a link to the service provided by the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology (HLNUG), which helps with identifying the ant species. Tapinoma ants do not stop at property boundaries or jurisdictional boundaries. It is therefore important to the town council to be made aware of the spread of the ants on public land – and indeed on private land – through reports submitted via the information page. As the owner of green spaces, roads and footpaths, the town council will then implement its own measures within its area of responsibility. On private property, the responsibility for control lies with the owners. The better the measures against the ant can be coordinated between private households and the relevant departments of the city council, the more effective they will be, as there are no short-term solutions. A dedicated email address set up by the city for reporting sightings has been published on the new page of the website. It is simply: tapinoma@rodgau.de.
