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Short Abstract

Invasive Tapinoma magnum ants are a nuisance in homes and can damage infrastructure. Through citizen science and their sharp nose, dogs may find hidden colonies to help protect native biodiversity.

Abstract

Tapinoma magnum is an invasive ant species in Europe which forms large supercolonies, represents a major nuisance for affected homeowners and causes damages to infrastructure. Through citizen science, we found that the species is much wider spread in the Baden-Württemberg area than anticipated. One problem is that the ant colonies are often only found when they have reached an already large size, which makes the species difficult to manage. Ants are small insects that are difficult to identify. This likely contributes to the difficulty in limiting this species’ spread through the soil of ornamental plants as small colonies often go unnoticed. To solve this, we want to involve our best friends: dogs. With their highly sensitive sense of smell, insect detection dogs can sniff out different species of insects, even if they occur in small quantities and/or are hidden. Together with dog trainers as citizen scientists, we want to investigate whether detection dogs can locate Tapinoma ants in flower pots and if they can distinguish between the invasive and native species. The citizen scientists and their dogs contribute to investigating new ways to limit the spread of this invasive species by detecting colonies that are too small or inactive to be found by the human eye. This would not only help protect native biodiversity by stalling the spread of this invasive species, but also lower the amount of insecticides often involved in managing large colonies.