Canada’s rising temperatures means invasive ants are more likely to spread outdoors

As Canadian summers become increasingly hot, the rise in temperatures means some indoor-restrictive ant species could soon move outdoors, allowing these small pests to spread at a much faster rate.

According to a new study by the University of Toronto Scarborough, certain ant species that can survive indoors in cooler areas are beginning to move outdoors due to warmer temperatures resulting from climate change.

“What our research has found, that under climate change, the winter is expected to get warmer, making it more favourable for these, currently indoor-restrictive ants, to survive,” said Toby Tsang, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

“In other words, that means climate change can increase the number of non-native ants in the wild in Canada.”

Tsang