Climate change ‘could bring ant invasion’

 Colonies of Argentine ants could bring havoc to native species if they become established in Britain, conservationists have warned.

The insects, which are native to South America, have caused problems in southern Europe with their aggressive, swarming behaviour and in the past few years have been appearing in the south of Britain, where most of them are found indoors. Currently this country is too cold for the ants to survive the winter but it is feared that the warming climate could allow the ants to thrive. Prof Helen Roy, from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, said: “The ants are concerning. A little bit more climate warming and we could see populations spreading outdoors. It would displace native ants.”