A new alert about electric ants in the Var region, this time in Cavalaire-sur-Mer

A new spot on the map, and the Var department once again finds itself on the front line. The prefecture announced on Thursday, April 9th, the detection of a third infestation of electric ants in Cavalaire-sur-Mer, following Toulon in 2022 and La Croix-Valmer in 2024. At this stage, the department remains the only one in mainland France affected by this invasive exotic species, a status it would rather avoid. The tiny insect knows how to make itself noticed, and rarely for good reasons.

A sting like an electric shock, a progression that comes through our habits

A bite like an electric shock, a progression that takes hold through our habits. Wasmannia auropunctata measures around one millimeter, but its bite is anything but subtle, often felt as "an electric shock," sometimes triggering significant inflammatory reactions in humans. Specialists also report eye damage in domestic animals. Researchers clarify that there is no disease transmission, but another, more silent problem is at play: the pressure on biodiversity and local wildlife when these colonies establish themselves and saturate an environment. And they can do so in large numbers, up to 20,000 individuals per square meter.

Faced with this type of invasive species, the government is focusing on speed and precision: early detection, targeting a limited area, before the fight becomes a losing battle across large areas. Mapping, field surveys, guidelines to prevent spread, treatments with insecticide baits, monitoring over several months—the tools are available, but they require discipline, especially in high-risk zones. Because the electric ant travels primarily thanks to us, via the plant trade and the transport of potting soil and other soils, and remains difficult to detect, vigilance becomes almost commonplace, almost a daily necessity, in a region that is discovering that a simple flowerpot can sometimes conceal a colony.