New little fire ant infestation discovered in Haiku, MISC says
Eight sites under active treatment; promising results seen in Nahiku
A new population of little fire ants has been discovered in Haiku, the eighth infested site on the island currently under active treatment for the invasive pest, according to the Maui Invasive Species Committee.
MISC had received a report of stinging ants in west Haiku last week via the Statewide Pest Hotline, with the individual notifying staff about painful stings from tiny red ants located inside their home.
MISC visited the site, confirmed the presence of invasive little fire ants and began conducting surveys in the neighborhood on Aug. 29.
The MISC team estimated the infestation to include about 4 to 6 acres. They will finish mapping its extent before beginning control treatments, according to the organization.
Reports from community members have led to the detection of 13 of the 19 known infestations on Maui. Once detected, each infestation is treated for about one year, then monitored to ensure elimination, MISC said.
Eight sites are under active treatment. Six sites are in the monitoring phase — with ants not currently detected — and five have been eradicated, according to MISC.
Maui’s largest little fire ant infestation in Nahiku has shown promising results as 95 percent of the samples collected in last year’s survey efforts were empty, which indicates that the treatment of this 175-acre site is working, MISC said.
A comprehensive survey will take place later this month to further gauge progress.
“Community reports of stinging ants are critical in preventing little fire ants from becoming established on Maui,” MISC Acting Manager Teya Penniman said in a news release Wednesday. “It’s our best hope for early detection.”
Little fire ants are tiny, but these invasive bugs come with a big bite. They’re considered the world’s top 100 worst invasive species due to their ability to reach big population sizes to the point where people and animals can’t avoid stings, according to the Stop the Ant campaign website.
Little fire ants are native to South and Central America and are thought to have arrived to Hawaii in the late 1990s on Hawaii island, according to MISC.
They were first detected on Maui in October of 2009 in Waihee on less than an acre of property, according to MISC. Early detection and cooperation led to quick eradication of little fire ants in this area.
The ants are tiny, about as long as a penny is thick. They form supercolonies with multiple queens, blanket
landscapes and outcompete most other insects in the area, both native and nonnative, according to MISC.
Little fire ants have had “devastating impacts” on native biodiversity in other places around the world.
With the statewide Stop the Ant awareness month scheduled for October, MISC is beginning to highlight little fire ant efforts on Maui with the goal to encourage folks to send in more community samples in order to detect any new little fire ant infestations, as well as new invasive ant species that aren’t known to have arrived to the island yet, such as the red imported fire ant, Public Relations & Education Specialist Serena Fukushima said in an email.
The orange, reddish ants typically live in moist, shady environments on the ground and in trees. People usually first experience little fire ant stings on the neck or arms, as the ants are easily dislodged from trees or branches and can fall on whomever passes below.
And, welts from a sting can last for weeks. These stings can cause hikers, farmers and hunters to abandon areas where little fire ants become well established, MISC said.
When little fire ants invade yards and homes, they can also blind pets and cause residents to move away to avoid stings.
Penniman said that calling MISC or using the 643-PEST (7378) hotline reporting tool helps catch little fire ants before they can spread further.
MISC recommends collecting ants in the yard for identification at least once per year and every time new materials are purchased, such as mulch or nursery plants.
It only takes a few minutes to test for little fire ants. The procedure includes smearing a tiny bit of peanut butter, or mayonnaise if peanut allergies are a concern, on several thin strips of cardboard and placing them in shady places in the yard.
After 45 minutes, collect the samples with ants, place them in a plastic bag labeled with a name, address and contact information, and freeze for 24 hours to kill the ants.
Mail samples to MISC’s P.O. Box 983 in Makawao, HI 96768.
Visit stoptheant.org to learn more about collecting ant samples and request a free ant collection kit.
For more information or to make reports, call (808) 5736472 or email miscants@hawaii.edu. Reports can also be submitted through 643PEST.org.