Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)

Coqui – April/May 2020

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Kayani Singh, Teri Green, and Scott Winter following physical distancing guidelines while searching for coqui. Photo by Megan Archibald

As preparations were being made for MISC’s coqui crew to safely do fieldwork during Covid-19, the field crew had the opportunity to have an extended experience of MISC’s “Coqui College.” Utilizing virtual meetings, the crew met daily in video and voice chat rooms. They created site response plans, trained new staff, and watched selected presentations from prior Hawai’i Conservation Conferences. Our current crew includes Abe Vandenberg, Coqui Crew Coordinator; Darrell Aquino and Scott Winter, Field Crew Leaders; and Megan Archibald, Teri Green, and Kayani Singh, Field Crew. MISC is currently hiring additional staff. 

Additionally, MISC’s new Coqui Community Engagement Coordinator, Susan Frett, joined Beth Speith on the coqui community project in early March. While unable to engage directly with community members in person due to Covid-19, they developed and implemented an online questionnaire to determine how MISC could further empower community members to control coqui frogs in their yards. Susan and Beth collected, analyzed, and are now following up on feedback to improve the community program going forward. 

Based in part on questionnaire responses, the crew has been out hunting down single frogs, doing habitat work, and spraying smaller amounts of citric to tackle outlying single frogs and small populations. One response alerted the crew to a previously unknown small pocket of frogs in a challenging wildland location. This area likely expanded from a known population of frogs in Haʻikū and is now being controlled. The resident who initially reported this infestation sent this update: “I woke up at 3 am and took a moment to listen outside. I didn’t hear any coqui! I will listen again this evening. Mahalo to you and the crew!”

For a full report on what we learned from the questionnaire please check out this blog post: Results from the coqui community engagement questionnaire

At the same time, the coqui community team has been busy empowering residents to control coqui on their own. The team is distributing citric acid use for frog control using the no contact food delivery model. Between April 17th and May 9th, MISC staff delivered 633 pounds of citric to 17 separate locations around Haʻikū so residents can control coqui in their own yards. Citric deliveries will be available for as long as the MISC baseyard remains closed to the public. Small (1.28 lb) and large (50 lb) bags are available for residents to use in their own yards. Please get in touch with Susan at (808) 633-6646 or skfrett@hawaii.edu to request citric if needed.

No Contact Citric Delivery
No-contact citric delivery, May 2020

As the weather continues to warm into the summer months the frogs will be more vocal. Please let us know what you are hearing especially if you hear them in a new area. We cannot always respond to reports right away but do prioritize responding to reports of frogs in new areas. Please report if you hear frogs where you haven’t heard them before. As this Maui resident said, “this neighborhood does not have coqui frogs YET.  If I were to hear one or more I would immediately inform my neighbors and urge ACTION!” Thanks for your enthusiasm! 

Report coqui frogs using the MISC Coqui Report form.

Community reporting alerted MISC and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to coqui frogs at a larger nursery in central Maui in mid-May. Check out the story on our blog!

Outreach – April/May 2020

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Physical distancing has prompted a shift to online outreach, including the Maui Mauka Conservation Awareness Training program.

In the increasingly virtual world of meetings and presentations, the  Maui Mauka Conservation Awareness Training went online.   This collaborative environmental education training from the East Maui Watershed Partnership, the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, and Maui Invasive Species Committee was first offered online to 80 Maui conservation field crew. Additionally, the MMCAT team offered a training tailored for high school students and a standard tour guide training featuring Maggie Pulver from the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC). The next online Maui Mauka Conservation Awareness Training is on May 21, and will feature guest speaker Melissa Price talking about the pueo, or Hawaiian short-eared owl (Asio flammeus sandwichensis). 

Some community events went online and MISC outreach staff participated in the first-ever virtual Maui Earth Day Event on 4/26.  The monthly MISC column in the Maui News featured an article about activities island residents can do from their backyards to protect Maui and the May submission discussed host-specificity as it applies to biological control.

MISC was featured in the New York University Scienceline editorial called Fighting for an Island based on the work done by the program to control little fire ants on Maui both from the ground and air by helicopter. Litte fire ant control efforts were also featured in a story by Vice News that came out in late May:
Fire Ants Are Invading Hawaii, so Helicopters Are Blasting Them With Birth Control.

Hiring five field crew and a crew leader to join our coqui program.

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Both recruitments have closed, but if you are interested in working with MISC, please contact us at 808-573-6472. A list of current openings can be found at: mauiinvasive.org/careers

Apply for MISC Coqui Crew Leader – Recruitment closes March 2, 2020
Keep reading for details about the position.

Apply for MISC Coqui Crew – Recruitment closes March 10. 2020
Keep reading for details about the position.

Work outside, mālama the ʻāina, and help your community. 

The Maui Invasive Species Committee is hiring full-time permanent field positions for the coqui crew. There are five (5) field crew positions and crew leader position open.

This crew works out of our Makawao field station. The work shift is from 1:00 pm to 11:30 pm Monday through Thursday during the summer months and 12:00 pm to 10:30 during winter. Shifts can vary depending on operational needs.

Starting salary is $2580/month ($14.89/hour) for field crew postions and $3400/month ($19.61/hour) for the crew leader. Work involves mixing 50 lb bags of citric acid into a 14% solution, hiking in rough terrain while carrying heavy fire hose to spray coqui frog infested areas, and maintaining detailed records including GIS.

Must have current driver’s license and high school diploma or GED equivalent. If you have questions about the position duties and responsibilities, contact the Maui Invasive Species Committee at 808-573-6472.

To apply:

You must submit the following documents online to be considered for the position:

1) Cover Letter,
2) Resume,
3) Supervisory References,
4) Copy of Degree(s)/Transcript(s)/Certificate(s).

All online applications must be submitted/received by the closing date (11:59 P.M. Hawai‘i Standard Time/RCUH receipt time) as stated on the job posting. If you do not have access to our system and the closing date is imminent, you may send additional documents to rcuh_employment@rcuh.com. If you have questions on the application process and/or need assistance, please call (808) 956-8344 or (808) 956-0872. 

Apply for MISC Coqui Crew – Recuitment closes March 10. 2020

Apply for MISC Coqui Crew Leader – Recruitment closes March 2, 2020

Find all current job openings on our Careers page.

Hiring – Community Engagement Coordinator for Coqui Removal – Apply by 12/18/19

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Please see recruitment on RCUH careers site for a full job description.

  • Employment type: One (1) Full – time, permanent position open
  • Shifts: The work schedule is very dynamic and will include evenings and weekends.
  • Minimum Monthly Salary: $3,800/month
  • Responsibilities: As the community engagement coordinator, you will be responsible for managing and expanding a community based social marketing program with the goal of engaging private citizens in neighborhood-wide efforts to remove coqui frogs. The position will have supervisory responsibilities once additional staff are hired.
  • Qualifications: 
    • Education: Must have a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences, Agriculture, Resource Management/Conservation, Marketing, or Communications.
    • Experience: Three to five years of experience in field activities related to invasive species control, resources management or public relations/outreach, including experience communication and coordinating with agency personnel and private landowners.
    • Abilities/Knowledge/Skills: Knowledge of Hawaiian nature history and threats from incipient alien plant and animal invasions in Hawaii. Excellent interpersonal communication skills. Good oral and written communication skills with diverse groups. Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions. Skill in facilitating meetings, resolving conflicts and giving public presentations. Ability to make sound planning and logistical decisions, and respond appropriately to shifting operational needs. Ability to oversee and train staff in alien species control field techniques and use of small-mechanized equipment. Ability to write clear and concise reports.

Questions? Contact Adam Radford at 573-6472.

DIRECTIONS FOR APPLYING:

  • Click the link to access the RCUH careers site. 
  • Search for Job ID# 19627, MISC Community Engagement Coordinator
  • Review the job description and select the Apply button to begin your application.

How to Mix Citric Acid for Coqui Control

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Follow all label directions. You can find a generic label for citric acid here: Citric Acid 25b label

Making your own citric solution:

  • MISC recommends mixing citric at a 16% solution or 1.28lb of anhydrous citric acid per gallon of water. The best method is to mix the solution by weight it but if you mix by volume use approximately 2 1/2 cups per gallon.
  • Citric dissolves in solution, but needs to be thoroughly agitated when mixing so that citric chunks will not clog your sprayer.
  • MISC can supply citric to community members. Call Rebecca Creighton, Coqui Field Coordinator at 808-633-6646 to acquire citric.

Storage:

  • To keep your gear (pumps, sprayers, etc.) in good shape, it is best to thoroughly rinse it with water. Metal pieces that have been touched by citric will start to corrode if not properly washed after each use.
  • It is best to store unmixed citric in a dry and shady area.

Common-sense caution:

  • Some plants are sensitive to citric acid, and can be burned if sprayed. You can reduce the damage to sensitive plants by rinsing off the spray within 15 minutes. Plants sensitive to citric acid solution
  • It is important to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when applying citric acid, as citric acid can irritate your eyes and skin. PPE includes shoes, long-sleeves, long pants, eye protection, and ear protection (if applicable).

Follow all label directions. You can find a generic label for citric acid here: Citric Acid 25b label

Blessed Milk Thistle

(Silybum marianum)

Family: Asteraceae

Blessed milk thistle, or Silybum marianum, isn't so holy when it forms prickly, invasive thickets.

Blessed milk thistle, or Silybum marianum, isn’t so holy when it forms prickly, invasive thickets. Conservationists quick to eradicate it from Maui pastures. Photo courtesy of Maui Invasive Species Committee

 This thistle is native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe and North Africa. Milk thistle thrives in high fertility soils and moist areas such as riverbeds and pastures. It’s a common weed in the Western U.S. and is a noxious weed in Washington and Oregon.

 Description:

  • Robust, fast growing thistle that can grow to 2-6 feet tall
  • It has purple flowers (1.5″ to 2″ long) that are surrounded by long spines.
  • Its shiny green leaves have distinctive white veins, which give them a mottled appearance
  • The wavy leaf margin is covered in spiny edges

 Harm:

  • Milk thistle produces copious amounts of seeds (6,000 per plant) and has large leaves which will shade out other plants.
  • It also contains high levels of nitrate which are poisonous to ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep. Seeds remain viable in the soil for up to 9 years and the plant thrives in disturbance, making eradication difficult.
  • Thistle seeds have tiny tufts of hair (like dandelion seeds) which aid in wind dispersal. It can be spread accidentally in cattle feed, water, mud, vehicles, machinery, erosion and by animals. 

In Hawaii:

  • Maui – Only known from a naturalized population in the Makawao area of Maui. MISC is working to eradicate the populations. Rarely cultivated as an ornamental, blessed milk thistle is more commonly grown for its medicinal properties. If you see this plant anywhere on Maui, please report it.

Don’t confuse with:

  • Mexican poppy, also known as prickly poppy, (Argemone mexicana), is a widespread weed on Maui with similar green and white mottled leaves. It can be differentiated by its yellow poppy-like flowers (2.5” wide), and skinnier leaves. It produces a bright yellow sap when the leaves or stems are broken.
  • Bull thistle, (Cirsium vulgare), is a widespread weed on Maui that also has a purple flower and similar growth form. However, bull thistle has uniformly green leaves covered with small bumps.

For more information, see:

Mullein

(Verbascum thapsus)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Considered very invasive and is on the Hawaii State Noxious Weed List.
The Division of Forestry and Wildlife of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources has designated this species as one of Hawaii’s Most Invasive Horticultural Plants.

Description:

  • Herbaceous biennial that reaches up to 10′ tall by its second year.
  • Large oval-shaped leaves range in size from 3-20″ long and 1-5.5″ wide. Covered in dense woolly hairs.
  • Sends up a flower stalk in the second year reaching 10′ tall, clusters of small yellow flowers grow in a random fashion along the stalk.
  • Native to Europe, mullein is naturalized in temperate ares of the world and has been intentionally cultivated for its medical properties.

Harm:

  • Quickly colonizes disturbed areas and out-competes native vegetation.
  • Produces numerous seeds that may remain dormant for over 100 years.
  • Drought-tolerant and able to withstand cold, mullein could invade native alpine ecosystem in Hawaii in places like Haleakala

In Hawaii:

  • Hawaii Island – Common on leeward uplands 3,940-9,840 ft of Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and Hualalai. It occurs also occasionally occurs in areas outside these zones, including windward Mauna Loa and some coastal and arid western sites.
  • Maui – First discovered in 1986 at over 9,000′ on Haleakala. It has since been found culitvated at several locations in Kula, all known locations are under active control and surveillance.
  • Not known from Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, and Kahooolawe.

Banana Bunchy Top Virus

The plant on the left is infested with BBTV. Note how the new growth is bunched together, a symptom that gives the disease its name. Photo courtesy of Scott Nelson, UH-College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources

The plant on the left is infested with BBTV. Note how the new growth is bunched together, a symptom that gives the disease its name. Photo courtesy of Scott Nelson, UH-College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources

 (BBTV)

Banana bunchy top virus  is a devastating pathogen that affects banana plants. BBTV stunts the growth of banana plants and fruit. There is no cure for this virus and banana plants will stop producing fruit and die. BBTV is spread between plants by the banana aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa), and people introduce the disease by moving infected plant material into the area.

 Watch a video:

 Description:

  • shrunken malformed leaves “bunching” at the top
  • “Morse code” dark green streaking on the leaf stem
  • mottled and streaked flowers
  • dark green streaks with “J” shape on midrib
  • presence of the banana aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa)

Harm:

  • BBTV stunts the growth of banana plants and fruit.
  • There is no cure for this virus and banana plants will stop producing fruit and die.
  • BBTV is spread between plants by the banana aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa).
  • People introduce the disease by moving infected plant material into the area.
  • All plants with BBTV should be quarantined and destroyed.

In Hawaii:

  • Statewide – Banana bunchy top virus was first introduced to Hawai‘i in 1989. It was first seen on O‘ahu, then the disease made its way to the Big Island followed by Kauai.
  • Maui – first detected in Pukalani in 2002. Since then, it has been found in Pukalani, Makawao, Kula, Kahului, Lahaina and Kīhei. As of 2014, BBTV is limited in West Maui, scattered in Haiku, and not known from the Keanae/Hana/Kipahulu area.

Don’t confuse with:

  • Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) is also spread by the banana aphid, but does not cause significant damage to banana fruit. Symptoms are mottling and streaking flowers. CMV does not cause the “Morse code” leaf streaking pattern of BBTV infected plants.
  • Severe deficiencies of nutrients like calcium and boron cause yellowing and deformed growth of leaves.

For more information, see:

  • BBTV information from CTAHR
  • BBTV article from the MISC Kia’i Moku Column

Little Fire Ant

Find aerial treatment schedule for Nahiku here: Nahiku LFA Aerial Treatment

Little Fire Ant (Wasmannia auropunctata)

Family: Formicidae

Since the discovery of Wasmannia auropunctata on the Hawaiʻi Island in 1999, the Hawai’i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) worked closely with the local invasive species committees (including MISC), as well as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent the further spread of this ant species. The Hawaiʻi Ant Lab, a project of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, is also working diligently to mitigate the threats and prevent the inter-island and intra-island spread of existing invasive ant species, including the little fire ant.

Description:

  • This ant is orange-red to light brown in color, all workers are 1.5 mm in length (half the size of a sesame seed, or as long as a penny is thick, about 1/16 “)
  • Slow-moving, easily dislodged from leaves, plants, and trees
  • Prefers moist conditions, forming colonies on the ground AND in trees
  • Native to Central and South America, LFA were accidentally introduced as hitchhikers on imported plants

Harm:

  • Delivers a painful sting when disturbed. Welts can last for weeks
  • Infests agricultural fields and farms, where they damage crops and sting workers
  • Promotes plant pests such as aphids, white flies and scale insects, which secrete plant sap that the ants eat. In turn, the ants protect these insects from natural predators and parasites.
  • Easily blown out of trees, stinging when they get are caught in hair or clothing.
  • Infests homes, beds, furniture and food
  • Has been linked to corneal clouding and blindness in pets
  • In the Galapagos, LFA attack tortoise hatchlings and sting the eyes of adult tortoises
  • Infest bee hives, preying on the larvae and eventually destroy the hive.
  • Large infestations are difficult and expensive to control

On Maui:

  • First detected on Maui in October of 2009 in Waiheʻe. Thanks in part to the early detection of the infestation, an extremely cooperative landowner, and the recently formed Hawaiʻi Ant Lab,  the 1/3 acre infestation was eradicated.
  • December 2013:  a Maui resident discovers LFA in hapuʻu logs purchased from a local garden shop. Trace-back efforts by HDOA uncover infested material shipped several places in the state.
  • June 2014:  a MISC employee surveying for LFA discovers an extremely small population of LFA in a South Maui hotel.
  • September 2014: MISC field crews working to control miconia find a 20+ acre infestation in a densely vegetated area near Nahiku.
  • January 2015: a Maui resident reports stinging ants to MISC. Delimitation surveys reveal a 5-acre infestation in Huelo and ants moved to a single location in Haʻikū.
  • Early detection and prevention are essential and the public is urged to report unusual ants on Maui to MISC at 573-6472 or HDOA at 643-PEST.
  • All known infestations have been or are currently being controlled. MISC partners with HDOA and Hawaiʻi Ant Lab in detection and control efforts, as well as public outreach activities to raise awareness about LFA.
  • MISC’s management goal for little fire ant is island-wide detection and eradication.

Pest Alerts and Publications:

For more information, see:

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Contact Us

Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
Office: (808) 573-6472
Press and Media Inquiries: (808) 344-2756
Mailing Address:
PO Box 983, Makawao, HI 96768

Acting Manager / Public Relations: Lissa Strohecker
E-mail: miscpr@hawaii.edu

Special Projects: Teya Penniman
E-mail: miscmgr@hawaii.edu

Statewide Pest Hotline: 808-643-PEST
Report a Pest Online