Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)

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Haʻikū Residents bring back quiet nights through MISC Community Coqui Control Program

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Susan Frett


Haʻikū communities are taking back their quiet nights from noisy, invasive coqui frogs, with tools and training from the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC). MISC is currently working with five Haʻikū neighborhoods –Haʻikū Hill, Haʻikū Mauka, Haʻikū Makai, Lower Kokomo and Akoa/Ala Olu/Makaio. The program is ready to assist and empower more Haʻikū residents in the fight against this invasive species to protect their way of life and health of our native ecosystems.

Ha’ikū residents support each other in controlling coqui frogs on their properties with support from MISCʻs Community Coqui Control Program.

MISC recognized that in addition to strong support from the County of Maui and State of Hawai’i, containing and eradicating coqui in Haʻikū would require strong engagement at a neighborhood level. MISC launched the program to support and expand on existing community coqui control efforts by residents. MISC provides training, equipment, and citric acid solution (a food additive mixed with water). Community members provide boots on the ground – removing vegetation, hauling hoses, and dousing infested areas with citric acid solution. And it’s working. According to Haʻikū Hill team leader John Phelps, “Spraying each month has reduced the number of frogs on each property from hundreds to only a handful.” Neighbors working together can be more effective than independent control efforts, as coqui can quickly move into untreated areas or reinfest properties without a consistent effort. Participants report an additional benefit: the program is a good opportunity to get involved and meet their neighbors. MISC follows all social distancing and mask-wearing protocols whenever working in the community and all control work is conducted outdoors.

A Haʻikū residents sprays citric acid to control coqui on his property.

MISC provides different levels of support, depending on community need and participation. Individual residents can receive free powdered citric acid to control coqui on their property once MISC has confirmed that coqui are present. Residents can also borrow a 9-gallon walk-behind sprayer or a 100-gallon sprayer that fits in the back of a pickup truck. MISC provides training on how to effectively use the sprayers. 

When three or more neighbors agree to work together across their properties, MISC provides a 100-gallon sprayer to participating residents every six weeks and helps residents with spray operations if needed. For larger groups of neighbors (at least nine committed households, plus a person  who serves as a point of contact) MISC provides a reservoir of pre-mixed citric acid during the specified control week on a six week rotation. Participants report that having mixed citric acid in advance has been a “game changer” as it allows the team to focus directly on control activities. In two neighborhoods, the community groups proposed using a pipeline to effectively treat a larger area. MISC and the residents worked together to design and install the systems.

MISC provides a variety of sprayers to residents wanting to control coqui frogs on their properties.

Over the years, MISC has been able to eradicate 21 coqui populations on the island. Abe Vandenberg, MISC Coqui Field Coordinator, says the key to those successes has been persistence and consistency. He emphasizes the importance of community efforts, noting record levels of participation last summer, “Local engagement is a huge help to the island-wide coqui control strategy. As more community members help remove coqui from their own backyards, they allow MISC staff to take on more challenging work in the gulches and other areas with difficult access. Working the process of small wins will lead us toward the biggest possible success –  a coqui-free Maui.”

  • For more information about the program, visit: https://mauiinvasive.org/community-coqui-control-program/ 
  • To get involved, call MISC’s Community Coqui Control Coordinator Susan Frett at 808-633-6646 or email skfrett@hawaii.edu. 
  • To learn more about coqui, including environmental impacts, visit: https://mauiinvasive.org/coqui-frog/
  • To submit a report, visit: https://bit.ly/Coqui-Maui-Public-Report-Form or call MISC at 808-573-6472.

Filed Under: Community, Community Program News, Control Work, Get Involved!, Home Slider, Invasive Animals, Press Release Tagged With: Citric solution, community coqui control program, coqui, coqui frog, coqui frogs, maui, MISC

COVID-19 and MISC

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Lissa Strohecker

Aloha kākou,

One of the joys of working at MISC is the close ties we have to our community. Our first priority is the health and safety of our employees, their families, and those with whom we work. We wanted to provide you with an update on our response to COVID-19 and what it means for our work in the short term.

We are following the social distancing guidelines and shelter-in-place measures set forth by Mayor Victorino and Governor Ige. MISC and MoMISC have temporarily closed their baseyards to the public, although some staff may be  present to perform maintenance and other work that can be accomplished without public interaction or threat to their well-being. Our field crews are working away from each other during this time and our capacity to respond to reports may be delayed. 

If you participate in the coqui community resiliency program, we will provide more specific details on ways to support you in quieting the coqui in your neighborhood.  

Consider taking this opportunity to check your yard for invasive pests.  If you detect a MISC target species, such as little fire ants, new locations of coqui frogs, ohia trees suspected to have Rapid Ohia Death, or others, send us your report and we will follow up when we can. Send reports through: 

  • Voicemail: 808-573-6472
  • Online: 643PEST.org
  • Snakes: call 911

Given the dynamic nature of the situation, we will provide updates on MISC’s response on our website and our Facebook page. Significant changes will be sent through email updates. 

For now, please know how much we value your support and partnership in protecting Maui Nui from harmful invasive species. Mahalo nui and take care of your health and your family.

All the Staff at the
Maui Invasive Species Committee

Filed Under: Control Work, In the field

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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
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