Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)

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Press Release: Haʻikū residents report stinging ants, uncovering a small population of invasive little fire ants

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Lissa Strohecker

Date: November 19, 2020  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lissa Strohecker, Public Relations and Educational Specialist
Maui Invasive Species Committee
PH:  (808) 573-6472
Email: miscpr@hawaii.edu

Thanks again to the backyard efforts of Maui residents, a recently-detected population of little fire ants will be eradicated. This infestation is in Haʻikū, off Kaupakalua road. The Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) estimates the ants have spread across four acres.

Maui residents Janet Mercer and Patti Hawkins reported the ants to MISC in late September. After several months away they returned to their home to find a new tenant: tiny, orange ants had spread throughout their yard and house. Initially, Mercer and Hawkins tried to control the ants with liquid ant baits from the hardware store but the ants ignored the household pesticide. The pests however, did not ignore the couple; even inside their home, they were getting stung.

Little fire ants form supercolonies by cooperating with each other. They effectively outcompete other ant species and take advantage of all possible habitat, colonizing trees and the ground. While they prefer to be outside, once they are established they start to explore new environments – including those occupied by people.

Hawkins is highly reactive to insect stings “I seem to be the canary in the coal mine,” she jokes. But even she was surprised by the pain delivered by these tiny ants. “It was like a bee, it kept going for 10-15 minutes or more after it stung. Then they would welt up,” she explains.

Hawkins told the story to a friend who suggested they might be little fire ants and that she should collect and submit a sample. “I put a little peanut butter out there and, wham. I couldn’t believe it. … I came back less than an hour later and the sticks were swarmed.” She brought the sample to an employee with the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) who confirmed that the ants were indeed the little fire ant.

MISC and the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA) have surveyed the couple’s home and surrounding properties. The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture has done trace-forward testing – looking at places where potted plants or material had been moved from the infested area to see if any ants may have hitchhiked a ride. Based on their findings, the infestation is contained to four acre, but the source of the infestation is not known. Given the spread, it’s likely that ants have been present for several years. 

Coincidentally, the infestation was detected just before little fire ant awareness month, an annual event where Hawaiʻi residents are encouraged to collect and submit samples of ants from their homes to find infestation of little fire ants and other invasive ants while they can still be controlled. Community efforts have led to the detection of 11 of 17 known infestations of little fire ants on Maui. Once detected, each infestation is treated for approximately one year, then monitored. There are only eight sites, including Kaupakalua, where little ants are still present and under active control.

“If people keep paying attention, and collecting and reporting suspect ants, we can stop the little fire ant from becoming established on Maui,” says Adam Radford, manager of the Maui Invasive Species Committee. “The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture is able to inspect incoming material for LFA and other pests, MISC crews conduct surveys, but public reporting is critical to finding these invasive ant populations and eliminating them.” On Maui, funding from the County of Maui and the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council supports control efforts.

Little fire ants have become widespread on Hawaiʻi Island. Animals often leave the areas where ants are established as do hikers and hunters. When little fire ants invade yards and homes, pets can be blinded. 

Community efforts are essential to keeping invasive ants from becoming widespread. MISC recommends collecting ants for identification at least one time per year. It only takes a few minutes:

  1. Smear a tiny bit of peanut butter (or mayonnaise if peanut allergies are a concern) on several sticks, coffee stirrers, or pieces of cardboard, and place them in shady places in your yard. Set a timer for 45 minutes.  
  2. After 45 minutes, collect the ants, place them in a plastic bag labeled with your name, address, and contact information, and freeze them overnight. 
  3. Mail them to your local Invasive Species Committee. On Maui, send them to MISC, P.O. Box 983, Makawao, HI 96768.


Visit stoptheant.org to find out more information on collecting ant samples of ants and the status of LFA on Maui and throughout the state. Contact MISC with concerns, questions, or reports at 808-573-6472 or miscants@hawaii.edu.  Reports can also be submitted through 643PEST.org.

Filed Under: Home Slider, Little Fire Ants, Uncategorized Tagged With: little fire ant infestation maui 2020

Coqui frogs negatively affect the environment in more ways than one

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Lissa Strohecker

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

The little fire ant (LFA) has been detected on the campus of Lahainaluna High School

Posted on May 5, 2020 by Lissa Strohecker

Date: May 05, 2020  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lissa Strohecker, Public Relations and Educational Specialist
Adam Radford, MISC Manager, Maui Invasive Species Committee
PH:  (808) 573-6472
Email: miscpr@hawaii.edu

  • Little fire ants climb along a hibiscus flower.
  • Little fire ants are approximately 2 mm long
  • Test any material coming from an area infested with little fire ants. Preventing the spread of pests to new areas and finding infestations early is critical to achieving eradication. Photo by Masako Cordray
  • Don't confuse the little fire ant with the much larger and widespread tropical fire ant
    Don’t confuse the little fire ant with the much larger and widespread tropical fire ant (above). Photo courtesy of HDOA
  • Little fire ants, Wasmannia auropunctata, on a penny. Photo by Zach Pezzillo
    Little fire ants, Wasmannia auropunctata, on a penny. Photo by Zach Pezzillo.
  • Little fire ants seen on a taro leaf for scale. These tiny terrors have huge impacts. Photo by Masako Cordray

A report of little fire ants on the campus of Lahainaluna High School has been confirmed by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) and Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC). This is the first detection of the invasive little fire ants at a school in Maui County. Though schools on Hawaii Island are burdened with addressing the stinging ants on school grounds, MISC is able to help on Maui.

“Proactive efforts on the part of the Lahainaluna staff – in recognizing little fire ants and submitting a sample – resulted in early detection of a relatively small infestation. Finding them early is the key to successful and timely eradication,” says MISC manager, Adam Radford.

Based on initial inspection, the infestation is just over one-quarter of an acre and limited to a section of potted plants brought to the campus several years ago as part of the school’s agriculture program. Staff suspected little fire ants were present in December and collected and submitted a sample of the pests to the Maui Invasive Species Committee in January. Two comprehensive treatments of the infestation have already occurred. The next treatment is scheduled for mid-June and treatments will continue for one year.

Once identified, this site posed little risk to the community and is the smallest infestation detected on Maui in recent years. The infested material has been quarantined on-site since detection. Without human involvement, little fire ants spread slowly, particularly in dry arid regions as the ants are a rainforest species native to South America. Moving soil and plants that have little fire ants are how they are able to spread quickly over large distances.

The school conducts occasional plant sales. The Spring Plant Sale was held in May 2019, at the Lahaina Cannery Mall. Another plant sale was held on campus in November of 2019.  There is a chance that Infested plants were sold.  “I encourage anyone who may have recently purchased plants from Lahainaluna High School, to test your yards or garden areas,” says Jeri Dean, TA Acting Principal of Lahainaluna.

Community assistance – testing for little fire ants and reporting stinging ants – have led to the majority LFA detections on Maui.  

MISC recommends that Maui residents survey their yards for little fire ants once per year. Additionally, quarantine new plants, mulch, or soil before planting or distributing throughout the property and test for little fire ants. Moving construction equipment and building material is an additional vector for LFA throughout the state. Any material stored outside for months or more should be tested.

Small red ants, particularly those that fall from overhanging vegetation, stinging people on the back of the neck, warrant immediate collection and reporting. Ant samples can be collected for identification by smearing a thin layer of peanut butter on a stick and leaving it outside near where ants are found for 45 minutes.  Bag the sample and place it in a freezer for 24 hours, then mail the sample to the Maui Invasive Species Committee at PO Box 983, Makawao, HI 96768, including contact information. Samples can also be mailed to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture at 635 Mua St, Kahului, 96732. If you have questions, please call 573-MISC (6472).

This latest detection brings the total number of infestation sites on the Valley Isle to 16. Seven sites are being actively treated.  The remaining nine sites are regularly surveyed to ensure the ants have been eradicated at those locations. 

The only other known site on West Maui is in Kapalua. Originally covering 12 acres, the stinging ants were reported by an area resident in 2016. The Kapalua site is now in a monitoring phase and there is no known link between the Lahainaluna infestation and the one in Kapalua.  Visit stoptheant.org to find out more information on collecting samples of ants and the status of LFA on Maui and throughout the state.

Filed Under: Little Fire Ants, Press Release Tagged With: invasive ants, lahainaluna, little fire ant, stinging ants back of neck

The little fire ant (LFA) has been detected in the Twin Falls area, Huelo, Maui.

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Lissa Strohecker

An infestation of little fire ants (LFA) has been detected at an area known as Twin Falls, in Huelo, East Maui.  The infestation was reported in early November, by both an area resident living within the infested zone and a former employee of the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) who had been stung while visiting the popular hiking and swimming site off the Hana Highway.

  • Do not remove anything from a known infestation to avoid spreading little fire ants. MISC file photo
  • Little fire ants easily fall off overhanging vegetation. Stings on the neck and torso can indicate the presence of this invasive ant. MISC file photo.
  • Little fire ants, Wasmannia auropunctata, on a penny. Photo by Zach Pezzillo
    Little fire ants, Wasmannia auropunctata, on a penny. Photo by Zach Pezzillo.
  • A little fire ants, Wasmannia auropunctata, on the tip of an index finger. Photo by Zach Pezzillo.
    A little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, on the tip of an index finger. Photo by Zach Pezzillo.

On Hawaii Island, residents and visitors have abandoned popular trails and waterfall hikes because of the rain of stinging ants that fall on them as they pass through overhanging vegetation.

On November 14th, two dozen people – both local residents and community members from elsewhere on Maui, worked with MISC and Hawaii Department of Agriculture personnel to place and collect samples to determine the size and spread of the infestation.

At approximately eight acres, the infestation encompasses several homes and some areas frequented by hikers and swimmers. Samples collected downstream from the core of the infestation have little fire ants – additional survey work will determine if the ants have spread along the waterway.

This find marks the third detection of the year on Maui, consistent with the trend of detecting two to three little fire ant populations each year. “We are fortunate to have strong community awareness – public reporting of little fire ants continues to be the most effective way to find populations,” says Adam Radford, MISC manager. MISC is actively treating ten populations of little fire ants.

Thanks to funding from Maui County and the Hawaii Invasive Species Council the LFA response team is expanding by two to address this growing problem. MISC continues to partner with Maui HDOA staff in following up on reports and treatment efforts from Kapalua to Hana.  The most important part of successful containment is community participation.

“If we are to keep little fire ants from becoming established, we need to find the populations early while they are still small – – we need the community to remain vigilant, actively checking for little fire ants whenever new material (potted plants, mulch, or anything stored outside) is introduced to their homes and reporting suspected populations of little fire ants early on. We know new populations will continue to be discovered, and we’re prepared for that, we’ve been highly successful at removal throughout Maui,” says Radford.

There will be a community meeting on Thursday, December 5th, at 6:00 pm at the Haiku Community Center to discuss what is known about the Twin Falls little fire ant infestation and plans for eradication.

Visit stoptheant.org to find out more information on collecting samples of ants and the status of LFA on Maui and throughout the state.  Suspected populations of little fire ants can be reported to the Maui Branch of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture at 808-873-3080, or the Maui Invasive Species Committee at 808-573-6472.

PDF link: Press-Release-Little-Fire-Ants-Twin-Falls_112719.pdf

Filed Under: Little Fire Ants, Press Release Tagged With: ant that lives in trees, ant that stings neck, press release, stinging ant on Maui

Press release 9/23/19: New infestation of little fire ants found in Waihee Valley

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Lissa Strohecker

Little Fire Ants on a hibiscus flower in Waihee Valley. MISC file photo

In late August 2019, a Waihee Valley resident called the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) to report stinging ants. She feared they were little fire ants (LFA) after being stung on her neck and under her collar while working near fruit trees. Staff from MISC contacted the resident and arranged a site visit to investigate the report. The ants were identified under a microscope as little fire ants or Wasmannia auropunctata.

The next day, a team from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) and MISC conducted surveys in the area, which is adjacent to the Waihee River. Initial surveys indicate that LFA are present on three properties. The infestation is estimated to cover four to five acres, mostly in overgrown vegetation and away from homes. Little fire ants were detected next to the river, raising concerns that the ants may have moved downstream; however, preliminary riverside surveys below the infestation zone did not detect any LFA.

Area residents who have encountered stinging ants—particularly those who have been stung on their neck and upper body after working with or under vegetation – are urged to report suspect ants by contacting either the Maui Invasive Species Committee at 573-MISC (6472), the Hawaii Department of Agriculture on Maui at 873-3080, or online at 643PEST.org.

LFA on a coconut. Multiple colonies can live within a coconut and simply the act of moving a coconut, mulch, or anything stored outside can spread an infestation to a new area. MISC file photo

This infestation is the fourteenth detection of little fire ants on the Valley Isle since 2009 and the second detection of LFA on Maui this year, following the April detection in the Happy Valley neighborhood of Wailuku. MISC is actively treating five sites; the Waihee Valley site will be the sixth. After undergoing a rigorous treatment regimen, little fire ants are thought to be eliminated from other sites, though MISC continues to survey to ensure they are gone. 

The source of the infestation is unknown at this time and there is no known connection between this one and a previously-infested site at a farm in Waihee. Based on the size of the new infestation, experts estimate little fire ants have been present for five or more years.  

The little fire ant has been called one of the 100 worst invasive species globally (IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group). They were first detected on Hawaii Island in 1999 and Maui in 2009. Little fire ants reach incredible densities (80 million ants per acre) and outcompete many other insects and small vertebrates. LFA live in trees as well as on the ground. People often discover the ants by brushing against heavily-infested bushes or in windy conditions when the ants fall off plants or trees. Unsuspecting victims of the “ant rain” are left with painful stings and animals can be blinded. On Hawai‘i Island, little fire ants are now widespread. People describe being at their “wit’s end” and unable to take their keiki to the places they learned to fish, hunt, surf, and hike. Left unchecked, this species will affect Maui’s environment, and agriculture, and forever change our quality of life.

There will be a community meeting on Wednesday, October 9th at 6 pm at the Waihee Elementary School. Officials from MISC and HDOA will share information on the threat of little fire ants, the current status of Maui’s infestations, the plan for treatment, and community efforts to prevent the spread. Learn more about LFA, including how to collect samples, at www.stoptheant.org

Contact:               Lissa Strohecker, Public Relations and Education Specialist                                Brooke Mahnken, LFA Coordinator
                               Adam Radford, MISC Manager 
                               Maui Invasive Species Committee
                               PH:  (808) 573-6472

                                Email: miscpr@hawaii.edu

  • Little fire ants on the stem of a hibiscus flower. MISC file photo.
  • LFA are attracted to peanut butter. Baiting a chopstick with peanut butter and returning after 45 minutes to pick it up is one way to sample your yard for little fire ants and other species. Find instructions at http://stoptheant.org/report-little-fire-ants/ MISC file photo.

Filed Under: Little Fire Ants Tagged With: little fire ants, press release, Waihee Valley LFA

Why All the Talk About Eradication?

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Lissa Strohecker

Test any material coming from an area infested with little fire ants. Preventing the spread of pests to new areas and finding infestations early is critical to achieving eradication. Photo by Masako Cordray

Life in paradise inevitably means dealing with invasive species in some form. From termites to rats, centipedes to garden weeds, there is an unending onslaught of pests we all deal with. Efforts to control them usually buy a temporary respite; we known and expect these pests will return.

Eradication, removing every last reproducing individual (or seed, in the case of plants) is the gold standard of invasive species management. In theory, eradication is achievable for any pest species, given enough time and money. In reality, time and money are in short supply. Deciding to eradicate a species is a significant undertaking, typically only possible when the target population level is low and accessible.

It took 80 years to eradicate feral goats from the island of Kahoʻolawe but today the island is recovering.

Goats once ran rampant on Kahoʻolawe. Introduced to the island in 1793, a gift to Chief Kahekili of Maui from Captain Vancouver, these hearty hooved beasts quickly took over, limited only by food availability. They devoured the vegetation on the island, threatening native species and exacerbating erosion. Starting in 1910, a host of assorted land managers, including ranchers, the military, and the state government battled goats on Kahoʻolawe. Over a period of 80 years goats were hunted aggressively—but always a few remained, too difficult to find. When control would cease, goat populations would explode again.

The last goat was finally removed in 1993 that goats were truly eradicated from the island. Those last few goats were the hardest to find, yet tracking down the holdouts was critical to the island’s vegetation recovery. As was the case on Kahoʻolawe, persistence is often a key ingredient of successful eradication efforts.

“It’s easy to kill 99% …. It’s the last 1% that makes it tricky,”

Not just large invaders can be eradicated—little fire ants, for example, are eradicable. These miniscule ants have something in common with the goats that once riddled Kahoʻolawe: removing the last few is the most challenging yet most important part of the job.

Until Hawaii Ant Lab arrived, attempts at eradicating the tiny ground and tree-dwelling little fire ant had failed. Getting a bait to the queen is part of the challenge, one met by their research and expertise. Photo by Masako Cordray

“It’s easy to kill 99% of the ants. It’s the last 1% that makes it tricky,” says Cas Vanderwoude, manager of the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab. His organization provides the expertise behind the efforts to eradicate little fire ants from Maui. And, as with any attempt to truly eradicate an invasive species, most of the work lies in finding the last few. “Surveys are essential to understanding where the ants are, how effective the treatment is, and if the population is eradicated.” Currently, MISC and the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab anticipate that infested properties will be monitored indefinitely to ensure the little fire ant has been eradicated.

The fact that these tiny invaders also live in trees adds to the challenge. Historically, treatment of the little fire ant relied on granule pesticides developed for fire ants in general. These granules could only be scattered on the ground and did nothing to control the colonies of ants living in trees. In Hawaiʻi, worker ants find enough food in trees, relying on sap sucking insects and other food sources, never needing to forage on the ground. Without workers carrying bait back to the queen in the nest, the colony will survive, reproduce, and reinvade, as the goats of Kahoʻolawe did time and time again. Fortunately, the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab has developed techniques for controlling little fire ant on the ground and in the trees.

Little fire ants seen on a taro leaf for scale. These tiny terrors have huge impacts. Photo by Masako Cordray

On Maui there are only a handful of little fire ant populations: Nāhiku, Kapalua, Huelo, and Waiheʻe.  Though eradicating these infestations will be a challenge, complete removal of the little fire ant from Maui is the goal thanks to the expertise of the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab.

Eradication is time-consuming and expensive, though the price is negligible when compared to the never-ending cost of suppressing these pests so we can continue to enjoy life in Hawaiʻi as we know it. Economists estimate that the cost of damage from little fire ants on Hawaiʻi Island will exceed $140 million if current trends continue.

Eradication is costly, but it is an investment in the future. You can help to keep little fire ants at bay by ensuring you do not have any present on your property. Survey your yard for the little fire ant. Quarantine and test potted plants, mulch, and soil before distributing it on your property. Find testing information online at stoptheant.org or littlefireants.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.

Originally published in the Maui News on January 6th, 2017 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles.


Read more about the efforts and impacts of little fire ants:

Press Release: Haʻikū residents report stinging ants, uncovering a small population of invasive little fire ants

Date: November 19, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Lissa Strohecker, Public Relations and Educational Specialist Maui Invasive Species Committee PH: (808) ...
Read More

The little fire ant (LFA) has been detected on the campus of Lahainaluna High School

Date: May 05, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Lissa Strohecker, Public Relations and Educational Specialist Adam Radford, MISC Manager, Maui Invasive ...
Read More
Little fire ants, Wasmannia auropunctata, on a penny. Photo by Zach Pezzillo

The little fire ant (LFA) has been detected in the Twin Falls area, Huelo, Maui.

An infestation of little fire ants (LFA) has been detected at an area known as Twin Falls, in Huelo, East ...
Read More

Press release 9/23/19: New infestation of little fire ants found in Waihee Valley

Little Fire Ants on a hibiscus flower in Waihee Valley. MISC file photo In late August 2019, a Waihee Valley ...
Read More

Why All the Talk About Eradication?

Life in paradise inevitably means dealing with invasive species in some form. From termites to rats, centipedes to garden weeds, ...
Read More

Fire! Little Fire Ants in Hawaii

Little fire ants are spreading throughout the state. First introduced to Puna in 1999, and shortly thereafter to Kaua’i, these ...
Read More

Invasive species can sting aloha

Aunty Penny Martin is a lei-maker on Molokaʻi. She was talking story one day with a friend visiting from Hawaiʻi ...
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LFA – Insidious invaders that you can stop

Ginger Johnson bought a hapu‘u fern late in 2013 to plant alongside others in her yard. But when she heard ...
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The little fire ant-bad news for food crops

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, is a pest with a deservedly nasty reputation. Alone, this wee ant is neither ...
Read More

Moving? Leave the pests behind

Ask anyone who has moved lately - it’s a daunting task. Every move, whether across town, across the state, or ...
Read More

Filed Under: Kia'i Moku Column, Little Fire Ants Tagged With: 2017, Eradication

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

A Haʻiku gulch full of suprises

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Lissa Strohecker

The prickly seed ponds on this climbing vine led to a concernd Ha'iku resident reporting it to MISC as a potential invader. Turns out it is a native plant, Mucuna sloanei. Photo by Hank Oppenheimer

The prickly seed pods on this climbing vine led to a concerned Ha’iku resident reporting it to MISC as a potential invader. Turns out it is a native plant, Mucuna sloanei. Photo by Hank Oppenheimer

“Anything that bristly has got to be invasive,” said the Haʻiku resident who reported a vine that she found in the gulch on her family property. She called the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) when neither she nor her relatives could identify the strange climber with seedpods covered in fiberglass-like hairs. No one in the family had noticed it before and they had worked or played in the gulch since small-kid times. She collected a specimen, prickly seedpods and all, and brought it into the MISC office.

Though bristly, it turned out not to be an invasive species after all. The unusual creeper was a native plant once widespread in low elevations on Maui and other Hawaiian Islands. Commonly known as seabean, botanists call it Mucuna sloanei.

Mucuna comes in two varieties: sloanei, indigenous to Hawaiʻi; and persericea, endemic to windward East Maui and found nowhere else in the world. There are only a few of the persericea plants left. Because of the rarity of the persericea variety, and the damage caused by pigs and cattle to its habitat, the vine was recently listed as endangered by the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service. The possibility that it could be thriving in a Haʻiku gulch, only a stone’s throw from the Haʻiku Marketplace, was therefore pretty exciting. But it takes an expert to know the difference between the two varieties and Hank Oppenheimer fits the bill.

Oppenheimer is the Maui Nui Coordinator for the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP), a Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit project that works to protect the most rare and threatened plants in Hawaiʻi. Throughout the state, a handful of people like Oppenheimer and technician Keahi Bustamente hike deep into remote forests, scaling cliffs and doing whatever they can to prevent the rarest species’ extinction. This includes collecting seeds from rare Hawaiian plants, propagating them in greenhouses, and then outplanting the precious plants in protected habitat.

For plants, garnering listing as a PEPP species of interest is a mixed blessing; it means there are less than 50 individuals left in the wild. Oppenheimer is investigating the distribution of persericea to determine if it should be included with the other 236 PEPP targets.

Finding the native Mucuna sloanei was a pleasant surprise. Photo by Hank Oppenheimer

Finding the native Mucuna sloanei was a pleasant surprise. Photo by Hank Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer and Bustamente headed to the Ha’iku gulch. The vine turned out to be the more common sloanei, but Oppenheimer was still excited. “It was really interesting to see Mucuna in a place like that,” he said. Most of the habitat for Mucuna has been turned into pasture, farmland, or long ago taken over by invasive plants.

But as the team was leaving the gulch, they made a troubling discovery. Bustamente noticed an unusual plant with massive 2-3 foot long leaves, purple on the underside. He knew it instantly as miconia. This notorious pest and MISC target was certainly out of place; miconia is primarily between Keʻanae and Hāna. The discovery marks the westernmost naturally occurring plant in recent history.

So when the Haʻiku resident reported what she thought was an invasive vine, she actually helped uncover a relatively rare native species as well as one of the most invasive plants in Hawaiʻi. A great example of the more you look, the more you find.

Can you spot the miconia plant? The characteristic large leaves with purple undersides cued botanists in to this plant's presence in a Ha'iku Gulch. MISC file photo

Can you spot the miconia plant? The characteristic large leaves with purple undersides cued botanists into this plant’s presence in a Ha’iku Gulch. MISC file photo

To learn more about the Plant Extinction Prevention Program, visit the website www.pepphi.org. And if you think you may have Mucuna on your property, contact Hank Oppenheimer at henryo@hawaii.edu. If you would like help identifying an unusual plant, native or not, you can find a number of resources available online, including the Flikr site “Hawaii Plant ID,” curated by some of the state’s best botanists, or you can call MISC at 573-6472, particularly if you think you’ve found miconia.

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.

Originally published in the Maui News, April 12th, 2015 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Filed Under: Invasive Plants, Kia'i Moku Column, MISC Target Species Tagged With: 2015, Miconia, mucuna, plant extinction prevention program

Invasive species can sting aloha

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Lissa Strohecker

Photo courtesy of Forest and Kim Starr.

Photo courtesy of Forest and Kim Starr.

Aunty Penny Martin is a lei-maker on Molokaʻi. She was talking story one day with a friend visiting from Hawaiʻi Island, and the conversation turned as it often does, to lei-making.  The friend had a lime-green hydrangea growing in her yard and offered to bring her some. “As a lei maker, the hydrangea are the best for making lei po‘o (lei for the head),” said Aunty Penny. “I was really excited to see.”

At their next meeting, her friend had brought the beautiful flowers from Hawaiʻi Island. “I was overcome by the hydrangea,” she said. “I was ooh-in and ahh-ing,” Then she noticed her friend must have picked them on the go, bagging them before leaving to go to the airport so they would be fresh.  While the lei-maker was touched by the gesture, the sight of the freshly bagged hydrangea triggered a thought.  “It was like an epiphany—I’m thinking fire ants, coqui. I really wanted it….my hands were just itching to make that lei.”

The lime-green hydrangea ended up double bagged to contain any pests and buried at the Molokaʻi landfill. “It would have been easy to stop thinking responsibly,” said Aunty Penny.

As every malahini (newcomer) soon learns, the expansive aloha spirit also celebrates the bounty

The aloha spirit celebrates the bounty of the land, but invasive species threaten to change the practice of bringing gifts from our homes.

The aloha spirit celebrates the bounty of the land, but invasive species threaten to change the practice of bringing gifts from our homes.

of the land. Sharing in that bounty goes beyond good manners–it’s culture. Bringing gifts from your home, be they avocados or citrus, flowers or orchids, even cream puffs or manapua from a local bakery, is part of our way of life.

But as devastating pests like little fire ants become established on some islands and not others, our culture may change. “That kind of sharing and exchanging—pretty soon not going to be the norm, ‘cause you’re going to be worried about things,” says Aunty Penny.

Concerns about invasive species affect even the most traditional of cultural practices. Last summer, a group of students on Big Island helped place lei on every known burial site at Kalaupapa on Molokaʻi to remember those who lived and died there.  The lei brought from the Big Island were made of ti leaves, chosen in part because they could withstand freezing to kill any little fire ants.

Invasive species have affected cultural practices in other ways:  apple snails munch taro throughout much of the state, scale insects on hala can ruin the leaves for weavers in East Maui, and mites threaten the coconut groves planted for King Kamehameha V on Molokaʻi.

Lei-makers often share material between islands. Increasing concerns about transporting pests is beginning to hamper that practice. Photo courtesy of Maui Nui Botanical Garden.

Lei-makers often share material between islands. Increasing concerns about transporting pests is beginning to hamper that practice. Photo courtesy of Maui Nui Botanical Garden.

“I grew up with the tradition of bringing lei from island to island,” says Aunty Penny. “It just crushes me that now I have to think about fire ants and coqui.” Hawaiʻi residents don’t have to stop sharing plants and flowers with friends, but taking a few minutes to check that the gifts are free of unintentional hitchhikers will help keep the natural environment and native culture intact. “I loved that hydrangea,” says Aunty Penny, “but I love Molokaʻi more.”

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.

Originally published in the Maui News, March 8th, 2015 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Filed Under: Kia'i Moku Column, Little Fire Ants Tagged With: 2015, coqui frogs, invasive species sting aloha, little fire ants

LFA – Insidious invaders that you can stop

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Lissa Strohecker

Ginger Johnson bought a hapu‘u fern late in 2013 to plant alongside others in her yard.

MISC employee Molly Wirth surveys for LFA in response to a Maui residents concern about little fire ant moving in hapuu. No LFA were found. MISC file photo

MISC employee Molly Wirth surveys for LFA in response to a Maui residents concern about little fire ant moving in hapuu. No LFA were found. MISC file photo

But when she heard the news in early January that inspectors found a new species of fire ant hitchhiking from the Big Island to Maui in hapu‘u , she thought of the hapu‘u  she had just brought home. What if the ants had infested her yard? “I was very concerned. I went and looked at it and didn’t see anything.” Johnson left the hapu‘u in the shade of a tree, uncertain about what to do.

“I called a friend of mine who happened to be a biologist. He advised that I do the peanut butter and chopstick test.” The simple test, placing a peanut-butter smeared chopstick near material that may carry little fire ant, will attract many ants, including Wasmannia auropunctata, the little fire ant (LFA). Johnson tested but did not find any ants that resembled LFA, which are tiny (as long as a penny is thick) and uniformly light red in color. She was still concerned and called the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) for further assistance.

Crews from MISC arrived, bagged the hapu‘u to contain any ants, and took it to the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) where entomologists examined it for LFA. No suspect ants were found. But because the hapu‘u had been at Johnson’s house for a little while, MISC workers surveyed her property. They’ll return several times to ensure LFA weren’t introduced. This new pest is so damaging, it’s worth the extra effort to prevent it from becoming established on Maui.

Little fire ants can be hard to find when first introduced. Workers may not be foraging far from the queen, and even if several colonies are present, these miniscule insects are very hard to detect. Bait (like the peanut-butter-smeared chopstick) must be placed every two feet or closer. By the time the ants are stinging people or blinding pets, the population may have been present for months or years.

Little fire ants on the large end of a chopstick. Photo courtesy of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

Little fire ants on the large end of a chopstick. Photo courtesy of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

These opportunistic ants don’t build mounds; rather they find shelter in leaf litter, under rocks, or in loose tree bark. Little fire ants are insidious invaders. They don’t announce their presence by swarming feet and legs; instead, they sting when they are trapped against skin or in clothing. Establishing nests in trees and amongst ground cover, LFA can reach densities of 20,000 workers per meter, or a whopping 155 ants in a square inch. At that level, painful encounters become unavoidable.

So: if it’s small, call. MISC will survey your property, using peanut butter to attract ants. Alternatively you can submit a sample to MISC. Expert taxonomists review all ants collected. If they suspect little fire ants, they’ll take the sample to HODA for confirmation.

Little fire ants are not known to be established on Maui, Lāna‘i or Moloka‘i; though small infestations have been detected and controlled on Maui and Lāna‘i. Resources exist to stop this pest in its tracks. An interagency team made up of the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, Hawai‘i Ant Lab, and Maui Invasive Species Committee will respond to any new infestation in Maui County.

Inspectors at the Kahului airport destroy any little-fire-ant-infested shipments they find, but some might slip through. No organization has the resources to survey all of the places or pathways LFA could travel. If you have brought any soil, potted plants, or vehicles from off-island in the last year, take time to test for LFA. Waiting until you are stung is too late.

“I’m tremendously careful now,” says Johnson. “Someone just told me the other day they got a magnolia tree from the Big Island. My first thought was: how well did you test it?”

To learn more about the little fire ant, including detailed instructions for how to survey, visit the Hawai‘i Ant Lab’s website at littlefireants.com. The HDOA site at  hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/main/lfainfo/ has updated information on spread. If you suspect you may have LFA, please don’t try to treat them yourself– contact MISC at 573-6472 or the Maui branch of HDOA at 872-2848. “The issue is so frightening,” says Johnson. “I’m born and raised here, so I’ve seen many things change. The only time to deal with something like this is before it’s a disaster.”

By Lissa Fox Strohecker. Originally published in the Maui News, May 11th, 2014 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Filed Under: Featured Pest, Kia'i Moku Column, Little Fire Ants, MISC Target Species Tagged With: 2014, hapuu fern, little fire ant, test for lfa

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