Wart breast glass ant disaster expanded nine counties and cities, there is a trend of northward migration! Council of Agriculture Environmental Protection Department plans long-term Anti-Japanese measures

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Climate change and ecological imbalance have led to a sharp increase in the number of wart-breasted glass ants in central and southern Taiwan in recent years. They not only bite people, but also spray formic acid so that farmers can't open their eyes, have difficulty breathing, and even invade people's home environment. at present, there are 9 counties, cities, 24 townships and towns in Taiwan, and there is a tendency to move northward.

A few days ago, the "upstream and downstream" reported that the functions and powers of the central ministry were unclear and the local government resources were insufficient, resulting in more and more serious ant damage. Today (8) the Council of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Department held a press conference to announce that they would cooperate with each other to take an inventory of prevention and control materials needed to harm hot spots. From the end of October at the earliest, it will be proposed to supply boric acid mixed with sugar to the affected areas for the public to receive.

Lin Zongqi, an associate professor in the Department of Biology of Changhua normal University, reminded that wart-breasted glass ants like to live in a highly concealed environment. If they smell a strong smell of repellent, they will flee and spray insecticides. Instead, they will expand everywhere. It is suggested that farmers should strengthen garden clearing, reduce aphids and shell insects to provide honeydew to wart-breasted glass ants, and if a large number of them can be controlled by diosgenin and boric acid mixed sugar water. (please see the end of the article for the recipe.)

Verrucous breast glazed ants are addicted to sugar, which harms 9 counties and cities, and has a tendency to move northward.

At present, Nantou is the main verrucous glass ant harm area. Changhua and Taichung are neighboring areas. At present, 9 counties and cities (Taichung City, Changhua County, Nantou County, Yunlin County, Chiayi County, Tainan City, Hsinchu City, Kaohsiung City) have been harmed (at the end of the list).

Huang Jincheng, vice chairman of the Council of Agriculture, said that because verrucous glass ants are addicted to sugar and symbiosis with honeydew-secreting shellfish and aphids, the main damage areas are fruit gardens, and traces of persimmons, bananas, papayas, and fire dragon orchards have all been found. if the farmland is not cleared and pest control, the population will increase.

Wart-breasted glass ants like to live in highly concealed environments, such as bamboo poles, fallen leaves, home ceilings, spaced plywood, electric boxes, and so on. Feng Haidong, director of prevention and inspection, said that at present, the cross-regional spread is mostly a single point rather than a large area, such as Miaoli West Lake, Hsinchu, and so on, which may be caused by the movement of hollow materials such as bamboo poles and scaffolding with wart-breasted glass ants.

Lin Zongqi said that after the number is expanded, if the outdoor environment is not good, wart-breasted glass ants will move into the home, and then will not leave, so it will spread to the home environment.

Verrucous glass ants nest behind towel gourd leaves (photo / Cai Jiashan) reduce the density without extinguishing, with the goal of "no interference"

Jincheng said that wart-breasted glass ants are not alien species but native species, and will not do great harm to the human body. recent environmental changes have increased the density of the ant colony and spread to the vicinity of the home environment, and the next prevention and control work will be co-ordinated by the Council of Agriculture to check the number of prevention and control materials needed by local governments, and fund the purchase.

Lin Zongqi explains that the purpose of prevention and control is to control the population number and density to a degree that "will not harm or interfere." if all the ants in the environment are killed, other species may replace them in the cycle of the ecosystem.

The inter-ministry will divide the labor to do prevention and control.

In view of ant pest control, a few days ago, experts pointed out such problems as unclear government management responsibilities and insufficient budget. After discussion at an inter-ministerial meeting between the Council of Agriculture and scholars, an inter-ministerial meeting was formulated to integrate prevention and control.

The Council of Agriculture is responsible for the procurement of prevention and control materials and the construction of bait stations, and provides free bait in areas where verrucous glass ants appear, which does not need to be purchased by local governments, but the Prevention and Inspection Bureau and the Environmental Protection Department will conduct ant species identification and prevention and control promotion for local grass-roots personnel, and the cleaning manpower cost of publicity and demonstration in various places will be borne by the Environmental Protection Department.

Feng Haidong said that in terms of space allocation, public land in various counties and cities, such as parks and streets, is controlled by local governments, while other land, such as military barracks, is controlled by the units under their jurisdiction. If assistance is needed, coordinate with local governments. Feng Haidong stressed that the special budget for the prevention and control of verrucous glass ants will not crowd out the funds for the control of red fire ants.

Tsai Ling-Yi, director of the Environmental Hygiene and Poison Management Office of the Environmental Protection Department, said that after that, the Environmental Protection Department and the Prevention and Inspection Bureau will go to the hazardous hot counties and cities to build prevention and control concepts at the grass-roots level, and the cleaning personnel for front-line promotion and demonstration will be paid for by the Environmental Protection Agency to assist in prevention and control.