A new 30-acre infestation of little fire ants in Hauʻula has prompted a renewed call for better invasive species management in Hawaiʻi.
Last week, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources closed a part of the Hauʻula Forest Reserve on Oʻahu to eradicate the ants.
Community leaders say it's the island’s first detected LFA infestation in a forest rather than at a person’s property or business.
Now they’re calling on the public to be more involved in testing their homes for the ants, and reporting any infestations. They’re also urging the state’s top officials for more resources for and better leadership on pest management.
“The thing that's blowing my mind about little fire ants is we have the tools, we have proven effective treatments… But for some reason the state has not gotten it together for the last 10 years to keep this pest out of our yards, out of our cultural sites and out of our mountains. This is a wild situation to be in,” said Joe Wat, the community development coordinator of the nonprofit KEY Project.
Wat and representatives from other local organizations spoke at the state Capitol on Thursday to reiterate the need for better invasive species management in the state as the LFA continues to spread around the island.
“ This is a really, really significant change in the management that we're going to need, knowing that little fire ants are in our forests and not just in our nurseries, in our houses, in our backyards,” Wat said.
At the state Capitol, representatives from the Hawaiʻi Sierra Club dressed up as and portrayed little fire ants and invasive coconut rhinoceros beetles in a skit to “thank” the state’s leadership for allowing pest species to spread throughout the state.
They called out Gov. Josh Green and the leadership at the state Department of Agriculture, naming Chair Sharon Hurd and her executive assistant, Carol Okada, even calling for a change in leadership.
The DOA has been criticized for its handling of invasive species and protecting businesses like nurseries that may be contributing to the spread of pests like LFA.
