Freddie, MISCs the little fire ant sniffer dog, flanked by his team. From left, Trisha Wilson, MISC dog handler, Monte Tudor-Long, MISC ant detection specialist, Brooke Mahnken, MISC invasive ant program coordinator, Tracey and Craig Murray, Freddie’s trainers and owners of Craig A. Murray Dog School
In May of 2024, the Maui Invasive Species Committee added a new tool to support efforts to stop the spread of little fire ants on Maui and throughout Hawaii.
Meet Freddie, the Little Fire Ant Detector Dog. Freddie is a highly-trained black labrador retriever from Queensland, Australia. He spent two years with the Craig A. Murray Dog School where he learned to detect little fire ants (LFA), Wasmannia auropunctata. He joined the LFA crew in 2024 to support MISC’s mission to protect Maui from these invasive ants.
Why a dog?
Dogs have an incredible sense of smell, and Freddie has been trained to use his powerful nose to detect LFA that may be missed with other survey methods. He recognizes LFA’s signature scent, distinguishing it from other ant species, like a pheromone fingerprint. His ongoing training keeps him ready to detect the LFA pheromone fingerprint in the field.
How will MISC (and Maui) benefit?
Freddie will support MISC’s mission to eradicate LFA on Maui by helping the LFA crew with delimitation (finding the edges) of new infestations, monitoring treatment sites, verifying sites where no LFA have been detected with other survey methods, and checking ports-of-entry (harbors, etc.) to prevent new infestations from imported materials.
You can support Freddie and the LFA crew’s mission by reporting ants at StopTheAnt.org, calling 634-PEST or by making a donation.
Mahalo nui to the following funder and partners that helped bring Freddie to Maui.
