Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)

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October Is Stop The Ant Month in Hawai‘i

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 little fire ant, especially the painful stings to our families and the blindness it 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. During the month of October, you can also pick up free LFA test kits to collect ants at the following locations:

          • Kailua – Ko‘olau Farmers
          • Kāneʻohe – Ko‘olau Farmers
          • Kāneʻohe – Yamashiroʻs (Ace Hardware)
          • Pearl City – Home Depot Garden Center 
          • Haleʻiwa – Ace Hardware
          • Lāʻie – Ace Hardware

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.  

Filed Under: News & updates Tagged With: #stoptheant #LFA #noLFA #LFAoahu

DID YOU RECEIVE A PEST ALERT POSTCARD IN THE MAIL?

If you received the pest alert post card, LFA have been detected in your neighborhood. We are asking that everyone collect and submit any ants you have on your property or in your home for identification. LFA are tiny and can go undetected for a long time before you start to feel their sting. On their own, they spread very slowly as the ant population grows, but they can easily be spread from yard to yard when we move potted plants, yard materials, equipment…just about anything!

The eradication of these isolated population can only be successful if we can find them early and work together to get rid of them. To do this, we need to know how far these ants have spread in your neighborhood. Now more than ever, we need your help in finding any additional infestations in your areas.

Let us know you surveyed for ants online. We’re all doing our part to stay home during the pandemic. Some ants we can rule out as LFA with just a photo. We’ll let you know if it’s a suspect LFA and should be identified by species. Simply fill out this shorty survey and tell us (or submit a photo) of what you find: MY ANT SURVEY

There have been several little fire ant (LFA) detections on Oahu in the last year. Residents have reported getting bitten or stung by something in their yard. Suspecting it could be LFA, they collected and submitted their ants for identification. Luckily, most of these have turned out to be small populations and with the help of area residents, we have either already begun treatment for eradication or they are in the planning phase to start treatment.

Collecting and submitting your ants is fast and easy…just 3 steps: VIDEO ON HOW TO SURVEY

  1. LFA love cheap peanut butter! Mayonnaise or lunch meat is also a good substitute if you have a peanut allergy. Place a THIN smear of peanut butter or mayo on the end of a coffee stirrer, popsicle stick or chopstick. Place them in shady areas in your yard, potted plants, around pet food bowls, even indoors.
  2. Collect the sticks after 30-60 minutes (no longer than an hour). Any sticks with ants, put into a ziptop bag and freeze overnight.
  3. When ready to send your ants, simply mail them to be identified. Include your contact info with your ziptop bag of ants from the freezer. Prepare an envelope addressed to:
    • Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture- Attn: HAL
    • 1428 S. King St.
    • Honolulu, HI 96814

Once received and identified, you will be contacted informing you whether or not your ants are LFA. If they are, the Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture and Hawaii Ant Lab will discuss with you the next steps toward eradicating these harmful ants. We appreciate your help and your patience. Normally, we would try to visit all of the houses in affected neighborhoods in person. We hope that everyone stays safe and that we will soon be able to resume our work in communities, protecting our islands from harmful invasive species.

If you have questions, you can contact us: 808-286-4616 or email: oisc@hawaii.edu.

 

Filed Under: News & updates Tagged With: #stoptheant #LFA #noLFA #LFAoahu

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

 

Filed Under: Home Slider, News & updates Tagged With: #LFA, #littlefireants, #stoptheant, #stoptheant #LFA #noLFA #LFAoahu

News & Updates

HISAM 2021 – Save the Date!

NEW VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS COMING IN 2021!!

October Is Stop The Ant Month in Hawai‘i

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