European fire ant chemicals may send spiders scurrying away
But don’t go adding the invasive, biting insects to your home as an arachnid repellent
Chemicals left behind by European fire ants (Myrmica rubra, shown here in Finland) appear to drive away some North American spiders. The finding could help researchers develop spider repellents to keep the arachnids out of homes.
Pentti Ketola/iNaturalist (CC BY-NC 4.0)