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State urges residents to survey their properties for little fire ants

By using a dab of peanut butter on a chopstick and leaving the bait in several areas for about one hour, residents can attract and detect invasive little fire ants, which can produce painful stings and large red welts. State Department of Agriculture photo

The Maui News

Agencies across the state are working to increase awareness of the importance of early detection to prevent and control the spread of the invasive little fire ant as part of “Stop the Ant Month” throughout October.

The state Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Ant Lab and partner agencies, including the Hawaii Invasive Species Council, the Invasive Species Committees and the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, will be asking residents on Oahu, Kauai and in Maui County to survey their properties for little fire ants.

By using a dab of peanut butter on a chopstick and leaving them in several areas for about one hour, residents can attract and detect little fire ants. Residents may also request a free ant-collection kit through the website at stoptheant.org/. The website also has maps of areas where little fire ants have been detected in Hawaii.

Originally from South America, little fire ants are considered among the world’s worst invasive species.

These tiny ants are about 1/16th of an inch long and are a pale orange in color. They move slowly in comparison to the tropical fire ant that can move quickly and has a much larger head in proportion to its body.

Little fire ants 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.

The species was first detected on Hawaii island in 1999. However, by the time it was detected, the ants were widely dispersed on the island and no treatment protocol existed for eradication, according to a news release.

Efforts on Hawaii island are currently focused on managing infestations. The Hawaii Ant Lab was established to research the best and most efficient methods of eradication and control of little fire ants.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources produced a three-minute video that shows the step-by-step procedure for testing for little fire ants.

The video is available on the Stop the Ant website and at vimeo.com/97558997.

“The treatment plans developed by the Hawaii Ant Lab and the department’s entomologists have been very successful in eradicating new infestations,” said Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser, chairperson of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture. “However, early detection is key and we need everyone’s help to be our ant surveyors.”

Any ants collected should be put in a sealable plastic bag, placed in the freezer for at least 24 hours and dropped off or mailed to the Invasive Species Committee office.

For the Maui Invasive Species Committee, mail to P.O. Box 983, Makawao, HI 96768. This office can be contacted at 573-6472.

For information on Stop the Ant campaign and how to request an ant-collection kit, visit stoptheant.org/.

For more information on little fire ants in Hawaii, visit www.littlefireants.com/.

Any suspected invasive species should be reported to the state’s toll-free pest hotline at 643-PEST (7378).

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