Officials have called the recent spread of little fire ants in Hawaiʻi “disconcerting,” with dozens of new detection sites this year between Oʻahu, Maui and Kauaʻi.
The Hawaiʻi Ant Lab reported 19 new LFA sites on Oʻahu this year and eight new sites each on Maui and Kauaʻi. The invasive ant is already considered widespread on Hawaiʻi Island.
Six of the newly infected sites on Kauaʻi are plant nurseries, including one of the island’s largest, which supplies plants to other nurseries. The ant lab and the Kauaʻi Invasive Species Committee have responded to the situation, but they also want assistance from the state Department of Agriculture.
“This is extremely disconcerting. One of the largest nurseries on the island has been one of those that have come up positive,” said HAL Project Manager Michelle Montgomery during a Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council meeting on Thursday.
HAL and KISC visited the nursery, conducted a three-day inspection and provided it with a management plan, but they’re not sure how much of it has been followed.
“This is very concerning for all of us, and it's very, very frustrating. We’re doing the best we can, but it really makes us want to constantly assess where we are on the invasion curve," Montgomery added.
LFA on personal items and commercial goods can be spread as people move those items around. The most common vessels in Hawaiʻi are potted plants, produce, soil, mulch and landscaping material, so local organizations have focused their prevention measures on nurseries.
Montgomery said that on Oʻahu, two nurseries that provide landscaping services have been directly linked to LFA-infested neighborhoods.
HAL reported 69 total LFA infestation sites on Oʻahu, 27 on Maui and 15 on Kauaʻi.
