Mravi i humano rješenje

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O mravima i vrstama mrava, uz opis njihovih uloga i kako njih riješiti, ako treba, na human način

Mravi i humano rješenje kookabee, design by Melita Kukac

MRAVI: Prijatelji ili štetočine?

Na svijetu je nevjerojatan broj mrava, raznih vrsta s različitim karakteristikama. Članovi su porodice Formicidae, te potičući iz reda Hymenoptera (opnokrilci) srodni su pčelama i osama. Žive u vrlo organiziranim kolonijama, u mnogim potpuno različitim uvjetima, no pravo mjesto za mrave je na otvorenom. Tamo rade svoja gnijezda pod zemljom ili na drugim odabranim sigurnim mjestima kako bi skladištili hranu i osigurali prostor za razmnožavanje kraljica.

Mravi kao pomagači:

- mravi održavaju okoliš čistim razgrađujući organski otpad, insekte i mrtve životinje

- mnogi mravi sakupljaju i koriste otpad od lišća

- mravi stolari ubrzavaju razgradnju mrtvog i bolesnog drveta

- mravi poboljšavaju drenažu tla: okretanjem i prozračivanjem tla omogućuju da voda i kisik dopru do korijena biljaka; također donose kamenčiće i druge čestice do vrha tla

- mravi poboljšavaju i kemiju tla unoseći svoje zalihe hrane, obogaćujući tlo hranom i izlučevinama; posebno tako povećavaju dušik i fosfor, čime ostavljaju za sobom tlo koje je više-manje pH neutralno

- mnogi mravi raspršuju sjeme na mjesta gdje mogu cvjetati: čuvaju sjeme prenoseći ga u sigurnija staništa bogata hranjivim tvarima gdje su zaštićeni od žderača sjemenja, suše i požara; ljudi mogu sakupljati ta spremišta sjemena kada je to potrebno

- neki mravi štite biljke koje proizvode poseban nektar od drugih insekata koji bi im mogli naštetiti.

- mravi love insekte štetočine i njihova jajašca – uključujući druge mrave, krpelje, termite, škorpione i smrdibube

- mravi tkalci koriste se kao biološka kontrola u uzgoju citrusa, posebno u Kini

- vatreni mravi suzbijaju štetnike na obrađenim poljima

- šumski mravi pomažu u suzbijanju potkornjaka i gusjenica

- u rijetkim slučajevima mravi mogu biti oprašivači, na primjer nekih orhideja

- u nekim dijelovima svijeta ljudi jedu određene vrste mrava

- u nekim se zemljama veliki mravi, kao što su vojnički mravi, koriste umjesto šavova nakon operacija

Mravi kao štetočine
- neki mravi grizu, što može uzrokovati razne reakcije od blage iritacije do ozbiljne alergije, ovisno o vrsti mrava
- neki mravi štite biljne uši i brašnaste stjenice kako bi si osigurali izvor visokoenergetskog cvjetnog meda: zaštićene brašnaste stjenice mogu uzrokovati probleme u uzgoju voća, osobito ananasa

- mravi mogu biti štetni ako se odluče ugnijezditi u zgradi ili nečijem domu

Prirodni predatori

- djetlići i druge ptice koje se hrane kukcima

- određene vrste žaba

- muhe

- određene gljive

- neke gusjenice

- mravojedi, ljuskavci, ješci i numbati

- smeđi medvjedi, koji prvenstveno jedu ličinke i kukuljice mrava stolara

Prirodna sredstva protiv mrava

Higijena je naravno ključna. Kako bi ste spriječili ulazak mrava u dom ili ih istjerali, možete pomiješati bijeli ocat pola-pola s vodom i njime oribati sve površine na kojima su se mravi pojavili.

Mirisi bijelog octa i raznih eteričnih ulja poput paprene metvice, ulja čajevca, ulja cimeta ili ulja nima, učinkovita su sredstva protiv mrava. Vlastiti sprej možete napraviti tako da napunite špricaljku s vodom i dodate žličicu-dvije odabrane tvari te poprskate oko mjesta kuda su mravi ušli. Alternativno, možete namočiti štapiće od vate u sredstvo i postaviti ih oko najezde mrava. NAPOMENA: imajte na umu da su mnoga eterična ulja, posebice ulje paprene metvice i čajevca, otrovna za kućne ljubimce, pa osigurajte da oni ne dođu u kontakt s tim tvarima.

Ostale metode uključuju posipanje taloga kave, papra, kajenskog papra ili cimeta u prahu po putevima mrava ili postavljanje kore citrusa oko njih.

NAPOMENA: Ne preporučujemo ubijanje mrava.

Međutim, za one koje to ipak žele, prirodni insekticidi uključuju boraks, bornu kiselinu, kukuruzno brašno i kremenu zemlju.

NAPOMENA: kremena ili dijatomejska zemlja povezuje se s kožnim alergijskim reakcijama i problemima s plućima kod ljudi.

NADA KOZULIĆ: JEDNO OSOBNO ISKUSTVO

Kako riješiti mrave koji su ušli u prostor bez otrova i bez ubijanja.

Mravi su vrlo korisna stvorenja, ali ne u našoj kući ili stanu. A kad nam „usele“ u stambeni prostor, počinje ogorčena borba kako ih se riješiti, pogotovo ako ne želite ni mrave, a posredno ni sebe, trovati raznim otrovima.

Pred nekoliko godina mravi iz zemlje odlučili se smjestiti u dnu ulaznih vrata, čak su pojeli jedan dio gdje su smjestili maticu i njena jaja. Probala sam različita sredstva (osim otrova) da ih otjeram i da ih usmjerim drugamo, gdje bi stvorili novo stanište.

Na kraju pokušala sam ih se riješiti jednostavnim sredstvom koje ima svatko u kući – alkoholnim octom. Čim su osjetili miris octa počeli su bježati, dobro sam prskala  octom tu „cestu“ kojom su se kretali kao i njihovo stanište. Ponovila sam to idućih 2 – 3 dana i cijelo ljeto bila mirna.

Sljedeće godine, sredinom lipnja opet sam vidjela da su krenuli prema starom staništu, ponovila sam tretman alkoholnim octom i rezultat je bio isti, mravi su nestali. Još sam posipala prahom buhača, za svaki slučaj. Mravi su otišli negdje drugdje gdje ne smetaju.

Informacije sastavili Nada Kozulić, Nicholas Haas i Vivian Grisogono, 2022.

Prijevod: Josip Vlainić

 

Nalazite se ovdje: Home zanimljivosti Priroda zna bolje! Mravi i humano rješenje

Novosti: Ekologija.hr

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Novosti: Biologija.com