Overview
- Officials confirmed on Monday that two occurrences of Tapinoma magnum have been verified in Schleswig‑Holstein, with earlier finds recorded in Wedel in 2024 and Wulfsdorf (Scharbeutz) in 2025.
- The species builds supercolonies with many reproductive queens and millions of workers, a biology that makes local eradication difficult and conventional baits largely ineffective.
- Local authorities have started containment measures and research teams are testing approaches such as hot‑water treatments, while citizens are asked to report sightings instead of using household insecticides.
- Tapinoma magnum has already caused infrastructure damage in parts of Germany, including nests in electrical equipment linked to power and internet outages and damage to building surfaces.
- The main pathway for further spread is the international trade in plants and soil, and the German Environment Agency says EU‑level listing is not possible because the ant is native in some member states, placing emphasis on national and local action.