For “Stop the Ant” month in Hawaiʻi, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources encourages residents to submit samples of ants to help detect and control the invasive species.
Ants are not native to Hawaiʻi. Fire ants were first found on Hawaiʻi Island in 1999.
Residents can request a free ant-collection kit or make their own using household supplies.
The homemade trap requires a thin sheet of peanut butter on a pair of chopsticks. Leave the chopsticks out for an hour to see ants approach the sweet treat. The sample should be kept in a sealable bag.
The samples can be sent to any island Invasive Species Committee or the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab for identification.
Learn more at stoptheant.org.
