Home Slider — Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)

BOLO LIST

BE ON THE LOOK OUT (BOLO) FOR THESE SPECIES!

These are emergent pests that have limited distributions across the state. State-wide establishment of these pests would cause significant negative impacts.

Field industry personnel such as conservationists, landscapers, farmers, ranchers, along with the general public are urged to be aware and report these species, especially in areas where detections have not occurred.

Early detection and rapid response to new detections are critical to keep areas free of these harmful invasive species.

Report these pests to the statewide pest hotline: 643-PEST (643-7378), www.643pest.org or download the free Android or iPhone “643pest” smartphone app.

ROD – OʻAHU

Send photos and locations of symptomatic ʻōhiʻa: CLICK HERE TO REPORT!

ROD Symptoms in ʻōhiʻa trees = brown leaves attached

Slideshow of symptomatic ʻōhiʻa trees. These symptoms can be caused by a variety of issues. ROD can only be confirmed by a lab test of the wood.

Healthy ʻŌhiʻa

Slideshow of healthy ʻōhiʻa trees

A large, healthy ʻōhiʻa

A very old, & healthy ʻōhiʻa

Healthy ʻōhiʻa

Red ʻōhiʻa blossoms are the most common.

Yellow ʻōhiʻa blossoms are called “lehua mamo”

ʻōhiʻa blossoms can be red, yellow or this salmon color.

Healthy ʻōhiʻa with its trademark silhouette

Healthy ʻōhiʻa

ʻŌhiʻa are a pioneer species, one of the first to grow on recent lava flow. Their roots break up the lava rock, creating space and soil for other plants to germinate…creating new forests.

Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) Detections on Oʻahu (as of June 2021) CLICK HERE FOR UPDATED MAP

Eight (8) trees have tested positive for the less aggressive ROD fungus, Ceratocystis huliohia.

356 ʻōhiʻa trees have been sampled to test for the presence of ROD.

There have been no detections of the very aggressive species, Ceratocystis lukuohia.

What Should You Do To Prevent the Spread?

Donʻt injure ʻōhiʻa trees.

Clean soil from shoes and tools and spray with 70% rubbing alcohol if can.

Don’t move ʻōhiʻa logs or plant parts.

Don’t transport ʻōhiʻa inter-island.

Wash any vehicles/bikes that have been off-road with high pressure hose.

What is ROD?

Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) is a fungal pathogen new to science not ever seen before 2014. There are two (2) species of ROD:

Ceratocystis lukuohia – VERY aggressive and rapid death as occurs in as little as two weeks.
Ceratocystis huliohia – Less aggressive and death can take many months.

Quick Facts About ROD:

Symptoms of ROD are dead or dying ʻōhiʻa trees with brown leaves still attached.
Both species of ROD present the same symptoms: brown leaves on branches or entire tree.
ROD fungus lived INSIDE the tree, you cannot see it on leaves, branches or flowers.
ROD enters the ʻōhiʻa tree through a wound…do not injure ʻōhiʻa trees.
If you see suspect ROD, send photos to OISC via email: oisc@hawaii.edu or text to: 808-286-4616.
You can also always report using the free smartphone app: 643PEST

A variety of things can kill ʻōhiʻa trees and we canʻt know if itʻs ROD unless we get a sample of the wood from inside the tree. You cannot see ROD on leaves or branches…it grows inside the sapwood. This is where the tree moves water around. When the fungus plugs up the sapwood, no water can be moved and the leaves turn brown.

About ʻŌhiʻa

ʻŌhiʻa is the dominant canopy forest tree in the state with over 350 million trees across 800,000 on all the main Hawaiian islands. It is a keystone species, meaning itʻs integral to the ecosystem and the services they provide like clean water, water capture, as well as flood and erosion control. ʻŌhiʻa is also significant to Hawaiian culture and represented in numerous hula, moʻolelo, mele and oli. There are five species of ʻōhiʻa in Hawaiʻi. They are all endemic to our state, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world…and two of those five are endemic to Oʻahu island! You can see ʻōhiʻa in yards and in the forest.

For more details about ROD and ʻōhiʻa, visit: www.rapidohiadeath.org

JOIN THE DEVIL WEED CREW

We’re so excited to launch this new community volunteer program! Being part of the crew will mean you will really get to know (and love getting rid of) this invasive plant.

We are looking for people to commit to surveying Oahu trails and reporting their findings to OISC. There are also known areas on the island where Devil Weed is prevalent and large patches will need to be removed. We may reach out for help with these. This is a community led effort to help OISC determine the spread of devil weed on Oʻahu. ANYONE can participate anytime…just survey when/where you can!

Simply pick a trail from our list.
Look for devil weed on the trail.
Report whether or not you find it using a free smart phone app.

Get started by heading over the Devil Weed Crew volunteer page!

Questions…Contact Erin Bishop, OISC Outreach Coordinator. E: oisc@hawaii.edu, C: 808-286-4616

OISC Virtual Outreach is Here!!

OISC is available to host live webinars for both virtual classrooms or community meetings. We also have on-demand webinars and educational worksheets and games for keiki.

Don’t see what you’re looking for? Reach out to us and we can accommodate your remote learning needs.

To schedule a live webinar for your classroom or community meeting, contact OISC via email: oisc@hawaii.edu or call 808-286-4616.

Educational Resources: Resources for teacher and parents include on-demand webinars, activity worksheets and downloadable lesson plans.
Community Outreach: OISC provides information and updates to a wide variety of community organizations and groups and meetings and events.
Volunteer Trips: What better way to learn about invasive species than to go into the field and survey OISC style!
Print Materials: Downloadable fliers and brochures.

ARE YOU GETTING BITTEN OR STUNG IN YOUR YARD?

SEVERAL LITTLE FIRE ANTS INFESTATIONS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING TREATMENT ON OAHU.

These recent detections of little fire ants on Oahu are the results of residents submitting ants for identification after being repeatedly “bitten” in their yard. There are over 50 species of ants in Hawaii and none are native. However, some are worse than others…and little fire ants are one of the worst in the world. There are several stinging ants widely established on the island that are similar in color and size. To identify ants by their species, they need to be looked at under a microscope. So, the public is asked to collect and send their ants for identification.

If little fire ant infestations are found early….the successful eradication of that colony is greatly increased.

So please…COLLECT & SUBMIT YOUR ANTS FOR IDENTIFICATION: “How to Test for LFA,” which shows the step-by-step procedure for testing for LFA: https://vimeo.com/97558997

It’s easy…you just need to place a very thin smear of peanut butter on the end of a stick, a small piece of paper and leave it in a damp, shady area for 1 hour.
Place any sticks that have ants into a ziptop bag and freeze overnight to kill the ants.
Mail the ziptop bag of ants to either HDOA: 1428 S. King St., Honolulu 96814 or OISC: 743 Ulukahiki St., Kailua 96734…we’ll identify them and let you know.

For more information on Stop the Ant campaign, go to: http://stoptheant.org/

LFA was first detected in the state on Hawaii Island in 1999. However, by time it was found, the ants were widely disbursed on the island and no treatment protocol existed for eradication. The HAL was then established to research best method of eradication and control of LFA. The treatment plans developed by HAL and HDOA entomologists have been very successful in eradicating new infestations. The protocol uses several types of pesticides and bait formulas applied on a six-week interval for a total of eight treatments. Originally from South America, LFA is considered among the world’s worst invasive species. LFA are tiny ants, measuring 1/16th inch long, and pale orange in color. LFA move slowly, unlike the tropical fire ant, which is established in Hawaii, can move quickly, and is much larger with a larger head in proportion to its body. LFA can produce painful stings and large red welts and may cause blindness in pets. They can build up very large colonies on the ground, in trees and other vegetation, and inside buildings and homes and completely overrun a property.

Are these little fire ants? Don’t know! There are several ants similar in size and color that are widespread in Hawaii. We can’t ID the ant species unless we look at them under a microscope. Collect and send your ants in for identification and find out what species of ants you have.

Current Areas Under Treatment for LFA on Oahu:

Kaneohe, Oahu

Reported December 19, 2018 – Samples submitted to HAL
Treatment zone 2 acres; 11 properties involved
Treatment began January 2019; survey in July 2019 found no LFA
Participating partners: HDOA, HAL

Ahuimanu, Oahu

Reported January 25, 2019 – Samples submitted by resident to Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)
Treatment zone 2 acres; 12 properties involved
Treatment began March 2019
Participating partners: HDOA, HAL, OISC

Lanikai, Oahu

Reported June 13, 2019 – Resident submitted ant samples to HAL.
Treatment zone < 2 acres; 6 properties involved
Treatment began July 17, 2019
Participating partners: HDOA, HAL

Kualoa, Oahu

Reported May 8, 2019 – Kualoa staff submitted ant samples to OISC.
Treatment zone 20 acres; pastures, natural areas, unpaved roadways
Treatment began September 16, 2019
Participating Partners: Kualoa Ranch, HAL, HDOA, GCAPS, OISC, Oahu Army National Resource Program
(OANRP), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS),

Makiki Heights, Oahu

Reported July 23, 2019 – Resident submitted ant samples to HAL – Oahu
Treatment zone approximately 5 acres; 18 properties involved
Treatment began October 9, 2019
Participating partners: HDOA, HAL

Pauoa, Oahu

Reported August 30, 2019 – Resident submitted ant samples to HDOA/HAL
Delimiting surveys currently being conducted on approximately 2 acres and 8 properties involved
Treatment will begin when surveys are complete
Participating partners: HDOA, HAL

Laie, Oahu

Reported October 7, 2019
Delimiting surveys currently being conducted
Participating partners: HDOA, HAL, GCAPS, OISC, OANRP, USFWLS

FOURTH DETECTION OF RAPID ʻŌHIʻA DEATH ON O‘AHU

Dead leaves still attached to ʻōhiʻa (as seen here from the air)…this is known as “flagging” and symptomatic of potential presence of ROD inside the tree.

(Honolulu) – An aerial survey of some 20,000 acres of forest on O‘ahu has resulted in the fourth detection of Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) in an ʻōhiʻa in the Moanalua Section of the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve above Tripler Army Medical Center.

“Fortunately,” explains State Protection Forester Rob Hauff of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), this tree is infected with Ceratocystis huliohia, the less aggressive species of the fungus associated with ROD.” The tree was located using a helicopter-mounted camera system developed by the University of Hawai‘i-Hilo, Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Lab (SDAV). The collected images were analyzed in partnership with staff from the O‘ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) and DOFAW, as part of an on-going effort to improve the ability of field personnel to spot potentially infected trees.

The previous detections of the same species on O‘ahu include single trees on Kamehameha Schools land in Waiawa, and on two private properties in Windward O‘ahu residential areas. Nathan Dube, the manager of the OISC said both of those trees were planted ʻōhiʻa. He said, “Both of these detections were from concerned landowners, who reported their dead or dying ʻōhiʻa to OISC. An OISC field team cut down the trees, dissected them, and sent samples to a lab in Hilo for positive confirmation and for research purposes.”

The aerial survey that picked up the tree in the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve, focused on the area adjacent to the earlier Waiawa detection. Surveyors identified about 40 additional trees from the images that need to be sampled for the disease, including ground-truthing. That process will take some time, as the area is rugged and difficult to reach. DOFAW and OISC crews, with the help from experts on Hawai’i Island, decided to remove the infected branch of the tree and monitor it monthly for further signs of disease. Crews used a sealant on the wound to prevent additional disease infection.

*Please report location of dead or dying ʻōhiʻa trees with dead leaves still attached on O‘ahu to OISC at: oisc@hawaii.edu (Photos are helpful)

Surveying 20,000 acres of forest on Oahu. using helicopter mounted camera system designed by UH-Hilo, Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Lab.

Residents and visitors can help protect our remaining ʻōhiʻa forests with the following actions:

Avoid injuring ʻōhiʻa. Open wounds on ʻōhiʻa are an entry point for disease spores. The disease can also spread from tree to tree on machetes or other tools.
Don’t transport ʻōhiʻa inter-island.
Don’t move ʻōhiʻa wood or vegetation, especially from areas known to have ROD.
Clean your hiking boots/gear/tools. Scrub off all dirt and spray boot soles and tools with 70% rubbing alcohol, and wash your clothes in hot water and use a dryer to ensure the disease is not spread on boots and clothing.
Wash your vehicle if driving near ʻōhiʻa forests. The disease can remain alive and infectious in soil, so wash all dirt off vehicles.

Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death has now been detected on Hawai‘ Island, Maui, Kaua‘i and O‘ahu since the fungal disease was first discovered in 2014. To date, the more aggressive form of the disease has not been found on Maui or O‘ahu, and is extremely limited on Kaua‘i.

The New 643-PEST App is Here!!

Submit a report using to alert the 643Pest Network of new pest sightings in Hawaii. The website 643pest.org (and the 643-PEST telephone hotline) are services provided by the State of Hawai‘i to help direct pest reports to the appropriate responding agency, or to community-based partnerships working with the state on invasive species issues.

…and they have just launched a new app for your smart phone! You can download the app using the QR code at the bottom or just search “643Pest” in your app store. Just keep it on your phone and reporting suspect pests is a breeze. It’s free, easy to use, and applicable state-wide. Together, we can stop the spread of invasive species!

Remember to call 911 immediately for all snake sightings.

Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death

Rapid Ohia Death symptoms include rapid browning of affected tree crowns. Trees die so fast, the leaved remain even after the tree has died.

Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death symptoms include rapid browning of affected tree crowns. Trees die so fast, the leaved remain even after the tree has died.

In an effort to prevent spread of this devastating disease to other islands, the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture approved an emergency quarantine measure on intrastate movement of ‘ōhi‘a and ‘ōhi‘a products.

Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD) is caused by two strains of the fungus Ceratocystis that until now, where unknown to science. Ceratocystis lukuohia, destroyer of ‘ōhi‘a and Ceratocystis huliohia, turning of ‘ōhi‘a. Both fungi infect and kill ‘ōhi‘a by attacking the vascular system of the tree. These fungal strains haven’t been seen before and there is no known cure for this new disease, but the quarantine will afford researchers more time to look for ways to mitigate the impacts.

Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death has now been detected on Hawai‘i Island, Maui, Kaua‘i and O‘ahu. To date, the more aggressive form of the disease has not been found on Maui or O‘ahu.

Everyone is asked to help stop the spread of ROD by following these 5 steps:

Don’t injure ‘ōhi‘a. Avoid mowing and walking over roots.
Don’t move ‘ōhi‘a wood, especially if you don’t know where it came from. Follow the quarantine rule and do not move ‘ōhi‘a materials to other islands without a permit. (Permit applications at: www.hdoa.hawaii.gov)
Keep your eyes open. If you see ‘ōhi‘a with ROD symptoms on O‘ahu, take a picture and contact OISC right away so we can collect a sample for testing. Email photos to oisc@hawaii.edu or call us at: 266-7994.
Clean your tools, gear, clothing and shoes when hunting, hiking, or gathering. Remove all dirt and much and either dip or spray your soles in *approved solution, and wash clothes in hot water and detergent.
Wash your vehicle with detergent, especially if you’ve traveled off-road.

*approved decontamination treatment proven to kill ROD fungus: spray with 70% rubbing alcohol.

Since August 2015, OISC joined the effort to monitor for Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD). OISC conduct aerial surveys of all ʻōhiʻa forests on the island twice a year to look for and sample suspect trees. OISC also responds to reports of symptomatic ʻōhiʻa trees across the island. Wood is collected from these symptomatic trees, then sent to a lab in Hilo to test for the presence or absence of the ROD fungus.

ON O‘AHU: PLEASE REPORT DEAD/DYING ‘ŌHI‘A TREES WITH BROWN LEAVES.

OISC has been assisting with reports of suspect ‘ōhi‘a trees on O‘ahu by collecting samples and submitting them to the ROD Team on the Big Island. On O‘ahu, If you see a dead or dying ‘ōhi‘a trees that still have brown leaves attached, you can contact OISC at 266-7994 or email oisc@hawaii.edu. Also, please take a photo (if can) of the suspect tree and note the precise location in the report.

For O‘ahu updates, visit: www.oahuisc.org/rod-oahu

For current news statewide, maps and pictures, visit: www.rapidohiadeath.org or Facebook/rapidohiadeath

Saving the Native Forest Video

With OISC and Lyon Arboretum

Save Native Forests from Oiwi TV on Vimeo.