Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)

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MISC Coqui Catching and Spraying Tips

Posted on September 16, 2024 by MISC

Even when our coqui crew is fully staffed, success depends on collective kuleana: communities working in their yards so MISC can focus on outliers and containment.

Things you will need:

  • Garden, backpack sprayer, or spray bottle Request a Backpack Sprayer
  • Citric acid powder   Request Citric from MISC.
  • Water
  • Gloves
  • Long sleeves/Pants
  • Closed-toe shoes

1. Locate Frogs

Spraying is most effective at night time as you can get a quick confirmation if they are not calling post-spray. They are often in-between leaves of bananas, ti plants, palms, and/or bromeliads. They cannot hang upside down. If it is in an area where you can hand-capture it, put it in a plastic bag once captured and dispose of it accordingly. Learn from the pros. Watch our short coqui catching video.

2. Mix and prep

Many sprayers work for coquis, below are recommendations on which one you might want to use depending on population size.

1-5 Coquis: Zep size cleaning spray bottle, 1-2 gallon sprayer pump

5-20 Coquis: 1-2 gallon sprayer pump, backpack sprayer

20+ Coquis: Backpack sprayer, 55-gallon sprayer and 100-gallon truck bed sprayer Request a Truckbed Sprayer

Mix powdered citric with water at the ratios that we provide when you get the citric. Mixing in a 5 gallon bucket before putting the solution in the sprayer can work well for larger quantities. Only 2 milliliters of solution need to touch the frog for successful control.

3. Spray

Spray directly where you are hearing the frog. If you cannot see it, use a 10ft buffer to help your chances. They are sensitive to light and movement. Keep your flashlight off until you know you are close and staying quiet can help keep the frog calling. If it does stop calling, you can whistle their “Ko-Kee” tune to encourage them.

If you can’t whistle, this link of a coqui recording works well to get them calling when they fall silent. Some nights the coquis will not be chirping for reasons unknown even though they are still there as surveys the night before proved, and whistling or playing the video can help with that. Spraying every six weeks works best to disrupt the breeding cycle.

4. Cleanup:

No matter what type of sprayer you use, it is best to empty the citric out and store in another container, rinse out the sprayer with water, and spray out that water through the nozzle. The citric can become corrosive over time and ruin the sprayer lines and nozzles.

Filed Under: Invasive Animals, Solutions Tagged With: spraying coqui frogs, tips to catch a coqui

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

Coqui frogs negatively affect the environment in more ways than one

Posted on June 18, 2020 by MISC

Coqui have the perfect environment in Hawaiʻi, one that lacks the predators – lizards, tarantulas, and snakes- found in their native Puerto Rico. They reach densities two to three times greater in Hawaiʻi than in Puerto Rico, the densest population of land-living amphibian known anywhere. — Maui Invasive Species Committee photo.

In the dark, Darrel Aquino turns off the pump engine – the silence is a stark contrast to the noise of the gasoline motor, and before that, the piercing calls of the coqui frogs that met Aquino and his crew from the Maui Invasive Species Committee when they arrived hours earlier. They work together to pack up, rolling up fire hose by the light of headlamps before heading back to the baseyard. They’ll be back out tomorrow, and the night after, but in a different area of Haʻikū, as they work to stop the spread of the coqui frog.

From dusk to dawn males call for mates, “Co-qui, co-qui.” The first note, “Co,” lets their competition (other male frogs) know they are there, and the “qui” is for the girls. As loud as a lawnmower or leaf blower, the calls drown out the sounds of a night in Hawaiʻi: crickets, the night breeze rustling leaves, waves breaking along the coast. 

But while the ear-splitting call of this tiny tree frog is what they are famous for, problems with the coqui frog goes beyond noise. Like us, these invasive frogs from Puerto Rico also find our island habitat and climate to be paradise. Coqui in Hawaiʻi reach population densities greater than any terrestrial amphibian species elsewhere in the world. At over 20,000 frogs per acre in an environment that evolved without frogs, there is bound to be an impact.   

“Coqui in Hawaiʻi reach population densities greater than any terrestrial amphibian species elsewhere in the world. At over 20,000 frogs per acre in an environment that evolved without frogs, there is bound to be an impact.”

Dr. Karen Beard, a professor at Utah State University, and her students have studied coqui frogs in the Islands for more than a decade. The interactions between invasive species from different parts of the world coming together in a new environment can be hard to predict, but her research is finding that the presence of coqui in Hawaiʻi tends to benefit other introduced species – from invasive plants to non-native birds to mongoose.

Coqui frogs alter the way nutrients cycle in the ecosystem. The frogs feed on insects, mainly ants, roly-polies, cockroaches, and earthworms, but not mosquitos. What goes in must come out and hundreds of thousands of invasive frogs contribute additional nitrogen and phosphorus to the soil. Though these additions help plants grow, the increase really only benefits introduced plants. The flora native to the Hawaiian Islands is adapted for nutrient-poor volcanic soils, so by increasing soil nutrients, the coqui frogs modify conditions to favor invasive plants such as strawberry guava (native to Brazil).

Coqui frogs also bolster populations of non-native birds. Beard found that populations of some introduced songbirds, including common myna, Chinese hwamei, and red-billed leiothrix (all from Asia), are higher where coqui frogs are present. This is likely due to changes in the insect community when coqui are present (more excrement and frog bodies means more flies) as well as birds consuming the eggs in addition to juvenile and adult coqui.

Mongoose (from India) may also benefit from coqui. Beard’s graduate student Shane Hill looked at rat and mongoose densities where coqui are present compared to where they are absent and found greater mongoose abundance with coqui present. Mongoose are the main scavengers of coqui frogs, which may provide a novel food source. Hill also concluded that increased numbers of non-native birds or coqui-induced habitat changes could favor mongoose.

An invasive mongoose thriving off the abundance of the coqui frog population while increasing the likelihood of predation to other native Hawaiian species. — photo courtesy of Karen Beard

Hill’s study also showed fewer rats where coqui are present, more so for Pacific rats, which den underground as opposed to the more arboreal black rats. Hill and Beard suggest lower rat abundance could result from competition with coqui for insects or increased predation by mongoose. While the relationships are complex, one thing is clear: more mongoose is not good for ground-nesting birds, such as the ʻuaʻu kani (wedge-tailed shearwater) or endangered ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian petrel), and coqui could indirectly contribute to a decline in these birds.

Humans may adapt to the noise of coqui but the environment may be forever changed by their presence; interactions among these invasive frogs and other introduced pests tend to compound the impacts.  It’s critical to do what is possible to keep these invasive pests out of the native-dominated areas of Hawaiʻi and sensitive bird habitat.

You can help stop the spread of coqui on Maui. If you have coqui, volunteer in your neighborhood to reduce coqui and remove frog-friendly habitat. If you don’t have coqui in your area, stay alert to any nighttime “Co-qui” calls and report it to MISC at 573-6472.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on February 10th, 2019 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles.

Filed Under: Home Slider, In the field, Invasive Animals, Kia'i Moku Column, MISC Target Species, Report a Pest Tagged With: 2019, coqui, coqui impacts on environment

Why can’t you keep rabbits on the ground? “Rabbit fever” affects people

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Lissa Strohecker

Laws require rabbit owners in Hawaii to keep their pets caged and off the ground. This keeps pets from escaping to start wild populations and keeps them away from ticks that could spread a potentially deadly bacterial disease: tularemia.

Several years ago, a researcher working with sparrows at a rabbit farm on Maui fell ill. He was feverish and tired, then started getting sores on his skin. Doctors weren’t sure what it was and although he was never officially diagnosed, he responded to treatment for tularemia, a disease caused by bacteria carried by rabbits, rodents, and other animals.

Officially, tularemia has never been documented in Hawaiʻi. It’s difficult to culture the bacterium and handling it poses a significant infection risk to lab workers. “If not here, there is a real threat that tularemia could, at any time, be introduced into Hawaiʻi. It affects so many animal species, and once here, mosquitoes and other blood-sucking arthropods could spread it,“ says Fern Duvall, head of Maui’s Native Ecosystem Protection and Management program with the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

On the mainland, where tularemia is widely present, the disease is rare among people. They are exposed to the disease if they handle infected animals, or if bitten by ticks or another insect that fed on an infected animal. When bacteria come in contact with the skin, they cause ulcers that spread through the body, eventually reaching the lungs. If the bacteria is inhaled, the results can be deadly.

Occasionally, there are serious localized outbreaks of the disease. The summers of 2000-2001 saw nineteen cases of tularemia on Marthaʻs Vineyard, Massachusetts– one proved fatal. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) came to investigate. An unusually high number (14 out of 19) were pneumonic (the bacteria had entered the lungs) and many involved landscapers. What the CDC suspected was that lawnmowers or other cutting tools struck the carcasses of dead, infected rabbits, the bacteria went airborne.

In 2015, there were outbreaks in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The CDC theorized these outbreaks may have been triggered by increases in rabbit populations, which grew in response to more vegetation, caused by higher than normal rainfall.

If you see a rabbit running wild, report it: 643pest.org

Vegetation, rainfall, and landscapers are plentiful in Hawaiʻi – what we don’t have are populations of rabbits running wild–at least not yet.

According to state law, people can keep rabbits but they must be contained. If kept outside, rabbits must be in a cage off the ground. The penalties for noncompliance may reflect the seriousness of the threat: loss of your pet, fines, or even jail time.

Duvall says the natural predators of rabbits in Hawaiʻi–cats, rats, or mongoose–are unlikely to keep populations of wild rabbits in check. Rabbits evolved with a multitude of predators:  weasels, coyote, bobcats, owls, hawks, snakes, foxes, and raccoons. To survive high mortality rates, they breed like, well, rabbits. The female (doe) can become pregnant with her first litter at 3 months of age, and again just a month later, within days of giving birth. One pair of rabbits can produce 100 kits (baby rabbits) per season, and up to 1,000 in a lifetime.

“We know they can become invasive,” explains Duvall. In 1989, six illegally released rabbits quickly became 100 at Hosmerʻs Grove in Haleakalā National Park. On Laysan, a small island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, free-roaming rabbits ate the island bare in the early 1900s, likely causing the extinction of three bird species– Laysan miller bird, Laysan ʻapapane, and Laysan rail. 

Beyond environmental impacts, rabbits running wild increase the risk of tularemia. “Rabbits are more often in contact with people,” explains Duvall. Whether as pets kept outdoors or released to the wild, more rabbits mean more rabbit-human interactions. Other pets can be affected: dogs, cats, and livestock can get tularemia from ticks or direct contact with an infected animal. Early treatment with antibiotics is critical.  

You can help protect Hawaiʻi. If you have a pet rabbit, spay or neuter it. If you raise rabbits, keep them contained. If you see a rabbit running wild, report it. Call the Maui Invasive Species Committee at 573-6472 or report online through 643pest.org.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News June 11th, 2017, as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Find more Kiaʻi Moku articles.

Filed Under: Invasive Animals, Kia'i Moku Column Tagged With: 2017, pet rabbits in hawaii

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

Posted on February 23, 2020 by MISC

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.

Filed Under: Employment, In the field, Invasive Animals Tagged With: coqui crew, Jobs, work at MISC

Illegal dumping risks spreading invasive species

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Lissa Strohecker

Coqui frogs, like this male guarding his eggs, take advantage of man-made materials for shelter. Illegally dumping rubbish can spread pests like coqui and make removing them more difficult. Photo by Maui Invasive Species Committee.

The evening of July 24, 2018, a Maui resident living near the Five Corners area of Haʻikū heard something she did not recognize as a normal sound for her neighborhood: the 2-note call of invasive coqui frogs. “I was in shock,” she says. “All the sudden there were 5-10 coqui frogs near my house.” She reported the frogs to the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) and worked with neighbors to pinpoint the frogs’ location in a gulch adjacent to a nearby pasture.

When crews arrived a few days later, they indeed found coqui frogs spread across a quarter acre. They also found a rubbish pile with tires and plywood. “Given that there were no frogs, then suddenly ten—that’s too many to have jumped onto a car and been moved to the site,” explains Abe Vandenberg, MISC Coqui Coordinator. “The more likely scenario is that there was a clutch of eggs moved in the rubbish pile.”  Coqui frogs hatch out from their eggs as tiny froglets, unlike other frogs that go through a tadpole stage that requires standing water.

Coqui are an introduced species to the Hawaiian Islands. Without the predators like snakes that keep them in check in Puerto Rico, they reach unnaturally high densities that are 2-3 times higher here in Hawaii than in their native habitat. In turn, they impact insect populations and nutrient cycling. But their mating call is what drives control efforts – males call “co-qui” from dawn until dusk in a piercing cacophony that disrupts sleep.

Unfortunately, the Five Corners situation is not unique. Even in the early days of coqui control efforts on Maui, roadside dumping factored into the amphibians’ spread. A vehicle abandoned in Māliko Gulch was the likely vector of frogs to a salvage yard in Haʻikū. As the coqui population increases on Maui, so do the instances of coqui moving in green waste and trash.

In the last year, illegally-dumped rubbish has been the vector for at least five introductions of coqui that MISC is aware of.

 Little fire ants are another invasive pest that is known to spread through the movement of green waste and debris. Green waste facilities are monitored for these pests to reduce the risk of spread but illegal dumping can circumvent these safe guards.  Photo by Maui Invasive Species Committee.

More often than not, the frog-infested trash is dumped in gulches – a difficult and dangerous place for crews to access and remove the noisy invaders.

It’s not just coqui frogs hitchhiking in trash and yard waste. On Hawaiʻi Island and in Tahiti and Guam, little fire ants have been spread through green waste. On Maui, MISC has worked with the owners of properties infested by little fire ants to address this threat, but undetected populations of pest ants most likely still exist. On Oʻahu, the larvae and eggs of the palm-killing coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) develop in coconut mulch, so preventing the spread of green waste is the most important task for crews working on the CRB Response Team. Coconut rhinoceros beetles are killing coconuts and other palms on Oʻahu and have not yet been reported from other islands.

Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles (CRB) lay eggs in mulch and so stopping the movement of infested debris is a priority for the CRB teams on O’ahu. Photo by U.S. Army Garrison Hawai’i. 

When yard clippings and mulch are properly handled, green waste is less of a threat. The temperature of a managed compost pile reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit, enough to kill weed seeds and many invasive pests and their eggs. Additionally, bringing green waste to a central location allows for monitoring. Green waste sites on Maui are regularly surveyed for the presence of little fire ants.

People who are tempted to dump their rubbish illegally may not realize that the impacts of their actions can be catastrophic. Often, illegal dumping attracts more dumping. The tangle of trash provides ample sites for pests to hide out and avoid treatment. You can help. Properly dispose of waste at the landfill, green waste facility, or compost it on site. Report illegal dumping to the Maui Police Department, at (808) 244-6400, and to the State of Hawaii Department of Health at (808) 984-8230.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy and quality of life.

This article was originally published on May 13th, 2018 as part of the Kia’i Moku Column for the Maui News.

Filed Under: Decontamination, Invasive Animals, Kia'i Moku Column Tagged With: 2018, coqui frogs, illegal dumping, little fire ants, Spread of coqui

Introduced songbirds can be invasive in Hawai’i

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Lissa Strohecker

There are other birds not known to be on Maui that should be reported immediately if seen. The red-vented bulbul is one such species; — K. HARI KRISHNAN photo

In March of 2018, a cluster of reports from Maui residents and visitors of White-rumped shamas in West Maui came in on the online birding database, eBird. The Maui Invasive Species Committee and other organizations had received reports before, but the frequency of reports caught the attention of Chris Warren, who works with the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project. These birds weren’t known to be widespread on Maui.  White-rumped shamas are not native to Hawaiʻi. These introduced species have established breeding populations on Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Kauaʻi, but only scattered sightings had been reported on Maui in the past. No new invasive species is a welcome addition to our fragile ecosystems here on Maui. Warren and his team went to Kapalua and the Honolua area to investigate.

“Pretty soon it was evident that there were more than just a few birds out there,” says Warren. This wasn’t a case of a lone bird—the team found shamas in streambeds and forested areas from Napili to Honolua Bay, but the full extent of their population is still unknown.

White-rumped shamas are native to western Indonesia, southern India and southwestern China but have been introduced elsewhere as a result of their popularity as cage-birds and songsters. Here, their diet consists mainly of small insects that they pounce on while in the underbrush. According to Warren, there are other introduced birds that may pose a greater threat to native birds than the shama but what has resource managers concerned is that a bird new to the island went unreported for so long. “Our native birds are already at a tipping point, the last thing they need is another competitor,” he says.

White-rumped shamas are part of the host of bird species brought to Hawaiʻi during an era of bringing in song-birds. By the turn of the 20th century, avian malaria and introduced predators had already brought native Hawaiian bird populations to low levels. Residential gardens were quiet but for the squawking of mynas and calling of doves. The socialites of Honolulu formed garden clubs for the purpose of importing song-birds—which only put added pressure on native ecosystems. From the 1920s up until the 1960s, when the practice was restricted, these garden clubs introduced many species of songbirds. Not all of these birds became established, but many did, and the musical White-rumped shama was among them.

Shamas were first released in Kauaʻi in 1931 and then in Oʻahu between 1938 and 1940. Those 89 birds then spread, reaching Molokaʻi in 1997 and Lānaʻi by 2009. They may have crossed between the islands on their own, but it’s also possible that humans helped them spread inter-island.

Warren and his colleagues are not exactly sure how far the shamas have spread on Maui. With the help of other resource management organizations, Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project is working to determine the distribution of these singing flycatchers. You can help!

  • White-rumped shamas are 9-11 inches long, about the size of a northern cardinal.
  • They have long tail feathers and spend much of their time in the underbrush.
  • Males have a glossy bluish-black back and head, a chestnut brown belly, and white patch feathers under their tail. Females have a tan head and back with chestnut belly.
  • Their song is impressive, both in range and volume, making them hard to miss.
  • Find information with photos and recordings, online: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology – White-rumped Shama. Report sightings, with a photo or recording through the online pest reporting system, 643PEST.org.
The red-vented bulbul is not known from Maui and should be reported immediately if seen. This bird resembles a cardinal but the head is completely black and it has a distinctive red patch on the underside. Bulbuls are serious agricultural pests on other islands. Report any sightings to 643PEST.org. — K. HARI KRISHNAN photo

While the white-rumped shama is likely here to stay, however, there are exotic bird species present on other islands that have not yet reached Maui. Red-vented bulbuls found on Oʻahu are one example: they are voracious fruit eaters and serious agricultural pests that quickly dominate the landscape.

To keep a new invasive species from becoming established, finding it early is essential. If you see something new in your yard, birds notwithstanding, take a few minutes to report it on the statewide pest reporting system. Either call 643-PEST(7378) or use the online report form, 643PEST.org.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy and quality of life.

This article was originally published on May 13th, 2018 as part of the Kia’i Moku Column for the Maui News.

Filed Under: Invasive Animals, Kia'i Moku Column, Report a Pest Tagged With: 2018, Birds in Hawaii, Kia'i Moku

Gold dust day geckos are only the latest moʻo to make Maui home

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Lissa Strohecker

Gold dust day geckos are here to stay. These colorful 5" long lizards are increasingly widespread on Maui and nothing to worry about. Photo by Eric Sonstroem, Flikr.

Gold dust day geckos are here to stay. These colorful 5″ long lizards are increasingly widespread on Maui and nothing to worry about. They can be distinguished from other lizards by the sprinkling of gold dust along the side of their necks.  Photo by Eric Sonstroem, Flikr.

https://www.643pest.org/

Geckos are ubiquitous throughout the Hawaiian Islands today, but that was not always the case. Though lizards can colonize islands by clinging to drifting trees and plant material, the Hawaiian archipelago’s extreme isolation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean likely prevented any terrestrial reptiles from reaching our shores. It was only after humans arrived in Hawaiʻi that reptiles and amphibians found passage aboard canoes, ships, and eventually planes. Thus began the waves of introduced geckos, skinks, frogs, and chameleons that came and spread throughout the Islands.

The first lizards stowed away with Polynesians in large oceangoing canoes. Mourning geckos, stump-toed geckos, tree geckos, Indo-Pacific geckos, snake-eyed skinks, moth skinks, copper-tailed skinks, and the now-extinct azure-tailed skinks were already established in Hawaiʻi when Captain Cook arrived.

Though it may be impossible to measure the impact these small lizards had, the arrival of voracious, insect-eaters in an ecosystem that evolved over millennia without lizards or amphibians would inevitably result in a decline in native insects. This is problematic for Hawaiʻi, which has tens of thousands of unique invertebrates—many of which exist nowhere else on Earth and have yet to be described by science.

The giant Madagascar day gecko was illegally introduced to the state. Any sightings of the large 12 inch long moʻo should be immediately reported to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture at 634-PEST (7378). Photo by MrTinDC, Flikr.

The giant Madagascar day gecko was illegally introduced to the state. Any sightings of the large 12 inch long moʻo should be immediately reported to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture at 643-PEST (7378). Photo by MrTinDC, Flikr.

The eight Polynesian-introduced geckos and skinks are still present in Hawaiʻi, but a few recent introductions have stolen the spotlight. Common house geckos only showed up in the last 60 years or so. They most likely hitchhiked to Hawaiʻi in the 1940s in cargo moved around the Pacific. Aggressive and territorial, they’ve outcompeted mourning geckos and others for the prized perch near the porch light.

An even newer arrival seems to be outcompeting the house gecko: the gold dust day gecko. This exotic, 5-inch long lizard is hard to miss: it appears to be dressed for Mardi Gras in brilliant green with bright blue eye shadow, red markings across its nose and at the base of the tail, and a sprinkling of gold spots dusted along back of its neck. Active primarily during the day, this gecko is native to Madagascar and small islands off the coast of East Africa.

Rather than arriving as a stowaway as other geckos and skinks have, the gold dust day gecko was illegally smuggled in and released. The entire Hawaiian population stems from only eight lizards a University of Hawaiʻi student released near the Mānoa campus in 1974. Shortsighted lizard enthusiasts intentionally dispersed the geckos, which then colonized new areas on their own. Maui residents began seeing gold dust day geckos creeping around Kīhei in the mid 90s. The lizards now populate landscaped yards throughout South and Central Maui and are becoming common Upcountry.

Gold dust day geckos eat insects: cockroaches, ants, flies, beetles, and spiders, but they also have a sweet tooth and lap up nectar from flowers or juice from ripe fruit. To date, they occupy roughly the same areas as other geckos, but the newcomer’s impact isn’t entirely understood. Their omnivorous diet may give them an advantage. While the colorful lizards seem harmless, they could be pressuring native ecosystems in ways not yet identified.

Orange spotted day geckos are another lizard to be on the lookout for. They are about 7 inches long and do not have the gold dust along their necks, rather have powder blue markings on their back amidst a pattern of orange bars. Photo by Herr Olsen.

Orange spotted day geckos are another lizard to be on the lookout for. They are about 7 inches long and do not have the gold dust along their necks, rather have powder blue markings on their back amidst a pattern of orange bars. Photo by Herr Olsen.

While it’s too late to address the gold dust day gecko on Maui, there are two more species of day geckos to look out for. Both were illegally imported, and are only found in a few places on O’ahu. The orange-spotted day gecko and the Madagascar giant day gecko are both green with red markings, but lack the gold dusting. The orange spotted day gecko is slightly bigger than its gold-dusted cousin, reaching 7 inches in length, and the giant day gecko is a whopping 10-12 inches including tail. Any sightings of these new lizards should be reported immediately to the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture’s statewide pest hotline at 643-PEST or online via the Report A Pest website at 643PEST.org

Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy and quality of life.

Written by Lissa Strohecker. Originally published in the Maui News on January 10th, 2016 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Filed Under: Invasive Animals, Kia'i Moku Column Tagged With: 2016, geico gecko, gold dust day gecko, invasive geckos maui, Madagascar giant day gecko, Orange spotted day gecko

What if there were no mosquitoes in Hawaiʻi?

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Lissa Strohecker

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the primary vector of dengue worldwide. This species is not widespread in Hawaii. Photo by James Gathany,CDC.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the primary vector of dengue worldwide. This species is not widespread in Hawaii. Photo by James Gathany,CDC.

The news is abuzz with mosquitoes these days; outbreaks of dengue fever on Hawaiʻi Island have us all a little more nervous when the high-pitched whine of a tiny pest reaches our ear. Mosquito-vectored viruses like Zika and chikungunya are on the horizon. Health officials in both South America and Hawaiʻi Island are scrambling to find ways to reduce mosquito populations and protect human health. Scientists are busy making nearly daily advances in the lab as well. All of the energy focused on removing these pests raises the question: how would the total removal of mosquitoes alter ecosystems?

There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes in the world, of which only a few hundred bite. Mosquitoes and their larvae are food for fish, bats, birds, and dragonflies. Male mosquitoes don’t suck blood, they daintily sip nectar. In return, they help to pollinate some aquatic plants. But despite their service as prey and pollinator, many scientists think ecosystems would recover just fine if mosquitoes were gone–other insects could fill that niche, and we’d have one less vector for disease. Good news globally, but it only gets better for Hawaiʻi.

The Culex mosquito, larvae shown here, is the mosquito responsible for spreading avian malaria between introduced and native birds. Photo by James Gathany, CDC.

The Culex mosquito, larvae shown here, is the mosquito responsible for spreading avian malaria between introduced and native birds. Photo by James Gathany, CDC.

In Hawaiʻi, mosquitoes are food for native bats (ʻōpeʻapeʻa) and dragonflies (pinao). Would these species go hungry without this imported food source? Not in the least, explains Dennis Lapointe, an ecologist with the US Geological Survey who researches the ecological role of mosquitoes and birds in Hawaiʻi. “[Mosquitoes] are all non-native and everything that is native and endemic got along fine without them.” Some species of native damselfly larvae eat mosquito larvae, but they have other food sources.

The greatest ecological benefit would be to our native birds. Disease-spreading mosquitoes are a significant factor keeping iʻiwi,ʻ apapane, and other Hawaiian honeycreepers from flitting through the trees in your yard.

Aedes albopictus is widespread in Hawai'i and is a vector of Zika among other human diseases. Photo by James Gathany, CDC.

Aedes albopictus is widespread in Hawai’i and is a vector of Zika among other human diseases. Photo by James Gathany, CDC.

Mosquitoes first arrived in Hawaiʻi when sailors dumped a barrel of water containing larvae of the Culex mosquito into the wetlands that once surrounded Lahaina. The Culex mosquito became the vector that spread avian pox and malaria from non-native birds to Hawaiian forest birds, precipitating their decline. The native passerines lacked any resistance against these foreign diseases.

Today, our few remaining native forest birds are relegated to high-elevation refuges, protected by temperatures cool enough to keep mosquitos at bay. But protection could be short lived; current estimates of climate change indicate these refugia could disappear within 80-100 years.

If mosquitoes disappeared, so would the threat of avian malaria.

Currently, the fate of native birds is not foremost in our minds as human-health threats loom: the Aedes mosquitoes, which are also found in Hawaiʻi, are in the news now. A. albopictus, widespread throughout the Islands, is the primary carrier the Zika virus. A. aegypti, a mosquito found only in a few areas on Hawaiʻi Island, is the optimum carrier of dengue. Both Aedes species carry chikungunya. Both of these mosquitoes cause harm, with negligible environmental benefit.

Meanwhile, scientists are working on a tool to reduce mosquito populations without pesticides. Using genetic technology, a self-limiting gene is inserted into the DNA of male mosquitos. Reared in labs, the mosquitos are released to seek out and mate with females, but the self –limiting genes is passed along and their offspring die as

Mosquitoes breed in standing water, and removing breeding sites is one way to help reduce the density of mosquitoes. Photo by Mary Hollinger, NOAA.

Mosquitoes breed in standing water, and removing breeding sites is one way to help reduce the density of mosquitoes. Photo by Mary Hollinger, NOAA.

larvae. The existing adults die off and are not replaced. Though years from being ready for release into the wild, scientists predict that these altered mosquitoes could be up to 99 percent effective in reducing mosquito populations, with no risk of developing resistance to pesticides. Each species of mosquito has to be targeted specifically, but Hawaiʻi has only a handful of invasive mosquitoes, all of which are non-native.

It’s something to think about: Hawaiʻi without mosquitoes, without the threat of dengue, Zika, or chikungunya. And, as an added benefit, Hawaiian forests with a few more native birds.

Until then, continue with mosquito-control efforts: dump standing water, treat bromeliads and other plants that hold water and mosquito larvae, and regularly apply repellent. These actions can help keep these blood-suckers at bay in your backyard.

Read more:

  • Eliminate mosquito breeding sites: https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/files/2017/01/Eliminate-Mosquito-Breeding-Sites.pdf
  • Ecological role of mosquitoes: www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html
  • Avian diseases in Hawaiʻi: https://mauiforestbirds.org/avian-disease/

Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy and quality of life.

Written by Lissa Strohecker. Originally published in the Maui News on February 14th, 2016 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Filed Under: Featured Pest, In the field, Invasive Animals, Kia'i Moku Column, Solutions Tagged With: 2016, Aedes, avian malaria, chikungunya, Culex, dengue, dengue in Hawaii, GMO mosquitoes, mosquitoes in Hawaii, Zika

Fire! Little Fire Ants in Hawaii

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Lissa Strohecker

Little fire ants are spreading throughout the state.

First introduced to Puna in 1999, and shortly thereafter to Kaua’i, these ants are one of the worst invasive species imaginable in Hawai’i. They invade houses, gardens, and forests. The ants are also arboreal; they swarm up plants and trees. When disturbed, they drop off, falling onto people and animals. Unsuspecting victims are left with painful stings.

Until recently, little fire ants were limited primarily to Hawai’i Island but as infestations have grown there, so has inevitability of their spread.

In January of 2014 little fire ants were detected on Oʻahu, leading to a multi-agency response resulting in containment and eradication. These tiny pests have hitchhiked to Maui and Lānaʻi as well. Meanwhile, Hawaiʻi Island residents are faced with creating sanctuaries amidst a sea of stinging ants.

This 30 minute documentary examines the spread of the little fire ant and the people who work to address one of the most significant invasive species problems confronting the Islands.

Funding support for this video was provided in part by the Maui Invasive Species Committee and the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council.

Filed Under: Invasive Animals, Little Fire Ants, MISC Target Species, News Tagged With: ant documentary, Fire! Little fire ants in Hawaii, LFA video

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