#LFA

On Maui, 75% of LFA detections come from community reports, proving that the watchfulness of residents is paying off. As LFA populations continue to grow across the state, the attentiveness of residents remains a critical component in preventing the establishment of little fire ants on Maui.

October is Stop the Ant Month in Hawaiʻi and a multi-agency effort throughout the month will encourage residents to collect and submit ants from their properties to help detect and control the spread of invasive little fire ants (LFA) and other harmful pest ants that may be new to the state.

A field crew with the Maui Invasive Species Committee detected a small population of little fire ants (Wasmannia auropunctata) along Hāna Highway near the entrance of the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā National Park on Aug. 26, 2024. This finding follows the late May detection of little fire ants or LFA at a county storage area on Waikaloa Road in Hāna. Officials say the ants likely spread via contaminated road fill to Kīpahulu within the last year. The infestation appears to be confined to approximately two-thirds of an acre, less than half a soccer field. 

The recent finding of a dead coconut rhinoceros beetle on Maui has prompted calls for vigilance among contractors and landowners to prevent the accidental spread of invasive species. This appeal comes at a time when the urgent need to address impacts from the Maui fires may increase the introduction of infested materials from off island.

Two people who have successfully helped the Maui Invasive Species Committee since its inception are Teya Penniman, acting manager, and Christy Martin, who started with MISC in 2000, but now helps with statewide issues including policy and funding. Maui Now’s Gary Kubota interviewed Martin and Penniman as part of this People of Maui series.

“The location of this LFA population is concerning because of its proximity to the Wailua River. LFA can “raft” along waterways allowing them to spread far greater distances,” said Curt Cottrell, Administrator of the DLNR Division of State Parks.

October is “Stop the Ant Month” in Hawaiʻi, and residents are encouraged to collect and submit ants to help detect and control the spread of invasive ants.

A new population of the invasive little fire ants has been discovered in Haʻikū. The MISC team estimates the infestation to include approximately four-to-six acres and will finish mapping its extent before beginning control treatments.

A multi-agency “Stop the Ant” campaign will be underway in Hawaiʻi in October to increase awareness about the importance of early detection to prevent and control the spread of the invasive little fire ant.

There are currently seven sites being treated on Oʻahu, two on Maui and one on Kauaʻi for infestation of LFA.

The Waihe‘e infestation is the fourteenth detection of little fire ants on the Valley Isle since 2009 and the second detection on Maui this year

There’s been nearly a dozen incidents of little fire ants on Maui since the island’s first report in 2009. This latest infestation spans 3 acres in Happy Valley

Little Fire Ants have been confirmed in a second Windward Oʻahu neighborhood. The two sites in Ahuimanu total about three acres.

In the first year of its 10-year plan to strengthen biosecurity, the State of Hawai‘i reports it took dozens of steps to better control invasive species.

A community meeting is slated for tonight in East Maui where one of two new infestations of little fire ants were discovered last month.

An estimated 2,000 samples were collected and the little fire ant infestation is estimated to be 12 acres in Kapalua, though that acreage may increase as further surveys are conducted.

The landscaper, who prefers to remain anonymous, quarantined and tested for little fire ants before even unloading the shipment. His actions along with the rapid response by the MISC crew protected the whole community.

The little fire ant is a highly invasive ant from South America that was first detected on Hawaiʻi Island in 1999. It has since been found on Kauaʻi (1999), Maui (2009), and Oʻahu (2013).

The Maui Invasive Species Committee and Hawaiʻi Ant Lab will host a presentation on the current status and treatment of little fire ant infestations in East Maui.

Agricultural officials have confirmed the spread of the invasive Little Fire Ant from populations in East Hawaii to the West side of the Island. The species was first detected in the Big Island’s Puna district in 1999.  The new finding was made at two locations in Kailua-Kona—one at a residence, and the other at a […]