Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)

DEVIL WEED CREW CHALLENGE 2023! Begins July 1st

SWAG BY THE MILE

Flowering season is fast approaching, so we want to find and remove as many devil weed plants we can before they start spreading seeds this winter.

Challenge begins August 1st. Send your survey data to OISC to start racking up your miles! 

  • SURVEY   5 MILES:  the first 25 people that accumulate 5 miles get a free hat!
  • SURVEY 15 MILES:  the first 12 people that accumulate 15 miles get a free 20 oz stainless steel tumbler!
  • SURVEY 20 MILES:  the first 5 people that accumulate 20 miles get a free t-shirt that you can customize. Choose your shirt color, logo color and placement!
DWC CHALLENGE 2022
First 12 people that survey 15 MILES receive a 20oz tall, skinny stainless steel tumbler.
The first 5 people that survey 20 MILES get to customize their own DWC t-shirt.
The first 5 people that survey 20 MILES get to customize their own DWC t-shirt.
The first 25 people that survey 5 MILES get a free OISC hat.
Request your devil weed field ID and receive a sticker…happy hiking/hunting! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DevilWeedGuide

HOW TO SURVEY & SEND YOUR DATA:

  1. ORDER YOUR FREE DEVIL WEED FIELD ID GUIDE.
  2. PICK A TRAIL TO SURVEY.
  3. USE ALLTRAILS APP TO RECORD YOUR SURVEY.
  4. IF FIND PLANTS, PULL THEM OUT AND TAKE WAYPOINTS ON ALLTRAILS (COORDINATES).
  5. WHEN FINISHED, SEND YOUR SURVEY TO OISC! EMAIL: OISC@HAWAII.EDU OR TEXT: 808-286-4616. *IF YOU PREFER, YOU CAN JUST SEND THE GPX FILE OF YOUR SURVEY.

For more details, visit the devil weed crew volunteer page or feel free to email us at: oisc@hawaii.edu.

HISAM 2022 – Hawaii Invasive Species Awareness Month

FEBRUARY IS HAWAIʻI INVASIVE SPECIES AWARENESS MONTH!

Hawaii Invasive Species Council hosted virtual events in February to learn more about invasive species by exploring the three wao (or realms) of Akua (upper forests), Kanaka (lower valleys and urban areas), and Kahakai (wetlands, ocean). Each week they will learn from the different people working in these wao, the invasive species impacting them, and what you can do to help.  Look for the tag #HISAM22 on Instagram and Facebook.

. Subscribe to the HISC Youtube and follow the HISAM 22 playlist to watch any presentations you missed live.

2022 HAWAIʻI INVASIVE SPECIES AWARENESS MONTH AWARDEES

Recognizing people and organizations from across the state for their efforts to protect Hawaiʻi from invasive species. Click on the links below to see the award videos for each awardee. Learn about the 2022 awardees’ stories in this story map.

Full playlist of HISAM 2022 award videos.

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.

Additional Resources:

Ramie Caterpillar Pamphlet Final

Devil Weed Infograph

ROD ON OʻAHU

ROD SYMPTOMS = BROWN LEAVES ATTACHED (by branch or entire crown)

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HEALTHY ʻŌHIʻA TREES

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RAPID ʻŌHIʻA DEATH (ROD) DETECTIONS ON OʻAHU (UPDATED March 2023)–CLICK HERE FOR MAP

  • Over 356 ʻōhiʻa trees have been sampled to test for the presence of ROD.
  • Only 12 trees have tested positive for the less aggressive species of the ROD fungus, Ceratocystis huliohia.
  • Of the 12 positive trees; 5 are residential locations, and 7 are wildland locations.
  • There have been no detections of the very aggressive species on Oʻahu, Ceratocystis lukuohia.

HOW TO HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OF ROD?

  • Don’t injure ʻōhiʻa trees.
  • Clean soil from shoes and tools and then 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 and not 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.

ROD QUICK FACTS:

  • 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 can’t know if it’s 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.
    • There are over 350 million trees across 800,000 acres on all the main Hawaiian Islands.
  • ʻŌhiʻa is a keystone species.
    • This means it is integral to the ecosystem and the services they provide like clean water, water capture, as well as flood and erosion control.
  • ʻŌhiʻa is significant to Hawaiian culture.
    • ‘Ōhiʻa is represented in numerous hula, moʻolelo, mele, and ʻoli. ʻŌhiʻa serve as the sacred kinolau (physical manifestations) of multiple Hawaiian deities
  • There are five species of ʻōhiʻa in Hawaiʻi.
    • They are all endemic to our state, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world. Two of those five are endemic to Oʻahu island.

HOW TO COLLECT & SUBMIT ʻŌHIʻA SAMPLES TO TEST FOR ROD – for Land Managers and Conservation Field Staff ONLY.

OISC and DOFAW are the primary organizations surveying and sampling for ROD on Oʻahu. We are limited with time and staff. Assistance from land managers and conservation field workers to collect samples from suspect trees is helpful. Collecting samples from dead/dying ‘ōhiʻa trees is easy and we can show you how to prepare your team to sample ʻōhiʻa suspect trees they may come across when working in the field.

We can “train the trainer”, showing you how to collect samples, properly decontaminate your tools and self, and properly submit your wood samples for testing. We sample at least once a month, so contact us via email to arrange your training: oisc@hawaii.edu.

Resources for how to collect & submit suspect ROD samples for land managers and field staff are available upon request. For downloadable guides, please email: oisc@hawaii.edu

**Due to the risk of contamination and spread during sampling, training is needed to collect ʻōhiʻa samples for testing. If you are a private landowner, contact OISC for a free test. Call/text: 808-286-4616 or email: oisc@hawaii.edu.

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

February is HISAM 2021

The 2021 Virtual Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Awareness Month is February! There will be a variety of fun and educational webinars, events, and activities for all ages!

Get to know the friendly faces of your conservation community and some of the pestiest of pests.

For list of links to FREE webinars, go to: HISAM 2021.

Follow #HISAM2021 on social media to keep up to date and get reminders for upcoming webinars and events!

 

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.

Thumbnail Image for pdf linkWe 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!

  1. Simply pick a trail from our list.
  2. Look for devil weed on the trail.
  3. 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

October Is Stop The Ant Month in Hawai‘i

CLICK HERE TO REQUEST YOUR FREE ANT COLLECTION KIT!

October is “Spot the Ant, Stop the Ant Month” in Hawai‘i. This campaign is being conducted state-wide to educate residents of the threats posed by invasive ants like little fire ant, especially the painful stings to our families and the blindness LFA causes in pets. We are asking for your help to participate in early detection surveys by collecting and submitting ant samples to the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture or OISC for identification. By testing once a year, you can ensure that you are either LFA-free or find the ants while the infestation is still small enough to eradicate.

Collecting ants is easy…just need some sticks and peanut butter. 

To see the status of LFA detections on O‘ahu and other islands, CLICK HERE

What are little fire ants, and why are they so bad?

Unless you’ve encountered the wrath of these tiny pests, you may ask “what’s the big deal?”.  Well, among all of the world’s invasive pests – the plants, animals, insects, bacteria…LFA have top-chart billing as one of the world’s worst 100 invasive species.

Little fire ants (LFA) are native to Central & South America, but have been spreading across the Pacific, damaging the envrionmnent, economy and the quality of life of those subjected to their stings. LFA sting the eyes of pets, leading to blindness.  LFA damage crops, food production, and the economy everywhere they have spread. LFA alter (or impact) people’s lives because their stings are unavoidable.

Doesn’t Hawaii already have fire ant? How are LFA different?

Many of us have been stung by the common Tropical Fire Ants, which nest in the ground in sunny fields and beach parks.  These are NOT the same as Little Fire Ants. LFA is a very tiny ant-about as long as a penny is thick and prefer shady, moist areas. They can nest in the trees and on the ground. LFA’s sting packs a wallop and when they fall out of trees, a person gets multiple stings all at once.

LFA have been detected on all main Hawaiian Islands except Molokai, and are only established on the Big Island. The Hawaii Ant Lab is based in Hilo and conducts research on invasive ant impacts, prevention and treatment methods, and eradication plans. They provide resources and information for the public and work closely with the residents of Big Island to best manage little fire ant infestations around their homes.

Early detection is key to preventing LFA from establishing.

LFA are established in areas on the Big Island and it’s highly unlikely there will be an island-wide eradication, but finding them early significantly increases chances of spreading across the island, as well as between all the islands.  When infestations become larger, costs increase dramatically and the chances of successful eradication are also much lower.

On Oahu, the residents of Mililani Mauka were crucial to the success of eliminating the infestation there. A resident brought samples to HDOA after being stung and because of this, the infestation was discovered while it was relatively small. Equally important, all the neighbors allowed staff on their property to test for and to treat the ants.

We need your help!!

LFA can spread across an island and move between islands in any materials – including fresh fruit, cut flowers, potted plants, household items and vehicles. The best way to help is to test your yard for little fire ant at least once a year. It’s quick, easy and a fun activity to do with kids. There are written instructions and a video explaining how to test at the website www.stoptheant.org.  

OISC Outreach & Education

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.

Contact Us

Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)
Office: (808) 266-7994
Fax: (808) 266-7995

OISC Manager: Nate Dube
E-mail: oiscmgr@hawaii.edu
OISC Outreach Coordinator: Erin Bishop
E-mail: oisc@hawaii.edu

Pest Hotline: 808-643-PEST (7378)
Report a Pest Online

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