A Maui Meadows resident wonders where he can turn for help to address a noisy neighboring alien species.
"Our part-time, multimillion Maui Meadows, Kumulani Estates neighbor brought in coqui frogs with his ever-growing neighborhood tropical jungle," the resident says. "After trying to communicate with the neighbor to no avail, we shared all the pertinent contact information with the (state) Agriculture Department, whose staff person responded immediately and with great professionalism."
The resident said the state official was frustrated because he was unable to get permission to enter the property to try to eradicate the pest, which could be done while the frogs are small in number.
"In the meantime, the relentless nightly whistling and the resulting missed sleep is adding up," the resident said.
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Teya Penniman, manager of the Maui Invasive Species Committee, said members of her group have made contact with the homeowner and are trying to help him with his coqui frog problem.
"We will conduct a survey in the area to verify the presence and location of coqui frogs and will attempt to contact any property owners that have coqui frogs in the area," she said.
MISC would report later on the results of its efforts, although it could take several weeks, she said.
"Regarding gaining access to private property to control coqui frogs, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and the Maui Invasive Species Committee must request permission to enter," she said. "If no permission is given, HDOA and the Department of Land and Natural Resources do have legal authority to enter private property to control designated pest species but must obtain a court order to do so.
"This authority is very rarely used," she said. "In our experience, Maui has truly been 'no ka oi' in terms of landowner cooperation. We are very respectful of property rights and work to address any landowner concerns. Last year, we visited over 4,000 properties in Maui County to look for and control invasive species. Cooperation and vigilance is essential to maintain the peace and quiet of our Hawaiian nights and to protect our native forests.
"Property owners might not be aware that the Legislature passed a law several years ago eliminating landowner liability for any injuries that might occur if a worker (from a group such as MISC) is allowed on the property to control an invasive species," she said.
Anyone who wants to report problems with coqui frogs can call MISC at 573-MISC, the state pest hot line at 643-PEST or the state Department of Agriculture at 873-3555.
"MISC has a dedicated crew working on the coqui frogs and is usually familiar with known infestations; however we are always interested in new reports," she said.
Coqui frogs are widespread on the Big Island, which is the source of many nursery plants that make their way to Maui, she said.
"We continue to see new infestations pop up across Maui as a direct result of interisland shipping, with some frogs even arriving on equipment that has been moved here," she said. "This is unfortunate because we have been highly successful at controlling nearly all of Maui's populations. But with continued reintroductions, it looks like we will be chasing our tails for a long time."
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