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Managing Little Fire Ants

J. Ferracane
/
nps.gov

Today we talk about Little Red Fire Ants.

We heard recently  about people getting bit by  on their living room sofa and now in the bedroom-- State agriculture teams are treating two windward Oahu neighborhoods.

An infested plant sold at the Punahou Carnival is prompting some to question protocols around garden sales to avoid the spread of a hitchhiker.

The Big Island and Maui have had their share of infestations in rural areas. What more can be done to avoid this dreaded pest from taking hold here in the islands?

On today's guest panel are:

  • Erin Bishop,Outreach Specialist at the Oahu Invasive Species Committee

  • Kevin Hoffman,  Administrator for the Plant Industry Division of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture

  • and Casper Vanderwoude, Research Manager at the Hawaii Ant Lab, on the Big Island.

All this talk of fire ants may have you asking: how do I detect if I’ve got fire ants on my property? Well, we’ve got some tips for you here.

You can find answers to commonly asked questions here.

You can find the Big Island Invasive Species Committee's list of upcoming LFA events here.

On Saturday, March 23, a public forum entitled Invasive Species & Biosecurity in Hawai`i will be held from 9 am until 12, noon at UH M?noa's Richardson School of Law, Classroom 2.

On Friday, March 29, an informational session is scheduled on Hawaii Island at the Discovery Harbor Community Center from 6 pm to 7:30 pm.

To get more information visit stoptheant.org or littlefireants.com.

The pest hotline is 643-PEST (643-7378) 

You can call Hawaii Ant Lab staff at 808-315-5656 or on Oahu directly at 808-824-1366.
 

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Catherine Cruz is the host of The Conversation. Originally from Guam, she spent more than 30 years at KITV, covering beats from government to education. Contact her at ccruz@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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