MISC working with nurseries, others on ‘Coqui-free’ project

WAILUKU - The Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) is engaged in a new program designed to reduce those annoying coqui frogs by working with local nurseries and plant sellers.

The tiny but extremely loud frogs, which can be as deafening as lawnmowers, have overwhelmed parts of the Big Island. And members of the nonprofit MISC have been working for years to control and reduce the coqui population on Maui - with some success.

The most recent effort is called the "Coqui-free" certification program for nurseries and other plant providers, according to MISC. The program has about 30 participants, who can use coqui-free advertising and logos.

The idea for the program came from people who wanted to know how the coqui frogs got here and what they could do to stop their spread, said Adam Radford, MISC vertebrates operations supervisor.

The coqui is a native of Puerto Rico and is believed to have arrived by accident in the late 1980s when the frogs hitched rides with Caribbean plants.

Dale Castleton said his Castleton Nurseries in Kihei became overrun with coquis several years ago. He is now free of the frogs and hangs the MISC banner on his business gate.

"Having coqui frogs hurt business," he said. "It generated a lot of bad publicity."

In the last year, MISC has won some significant battles against the pests on Maui. The number of coqui frog habitats on the island has gone from 14 to seven, Radford said.

Most of the remaining areas are manageable, he said. But MISC continues to wage an intimidating war against the coqui in the north shore's Maliko Gulch, where it's estimated that up to 90,000 frogs per acre live in a 137-ace section of the exceptionally steep gulch, Radford said.

MISC is about to try an approach this year that involves spraying nontoxic, biodegradable citric acid, which is proven to kill the coquis. However, workers will use industrial-sized sprinklers to pour gallons across the vegetation.

The project has been in development for some time but was postponed until the state funding recently came through, Radford said.

Participation in the coqui-free nursery program is free and voluntary. The requirements for participation, such as treatment with citric acid and regular inspections, can be found online at coquifreemaui.org.

Twenty-five businesses are listed as coqui free on the MISC Web site, including Wal-Mart. Tropical Gardens of Maui and Kula True Vale Hardware & Nursery.

* Chris Hamilton can be reached at chamilton@mauinews.com.