The little fire ant, or LFA, was first discovered in the state on Hawaiʻi Island in 1999.
While efforts to eradicate colonies on most of the islands seem to be turning the tide, the fight on the Big Island rages on.
"They are one of the most invasive species in the world, and here in Hawaiʻi, they just thrive. Our ecosystem is perfect for them, where they can have just so many numbers, where they dominate just about all insect species here. And it's just really scary," said Hawaiʻi Ant Lab's Kiyoshi Adachi.
Adachi warns that LFA stings can have dangerous effects on both humans and their pets.
"You may have heard like pets are going blind, people getting stung. They don't bite, they sting, so bodies react differently, similar to like bee stings and stuff where you can have really bad allergic reactions. And I've even heard of some cases people being hospitalized," he told The Conversation.
Adachi said the agriculture community is seeing the effects firsthand, with some farms shutting down because workers refuse to be near LFAs.
"They don't want to be there on harvest time. They don't want to be pruning the trees for the next season, because who would want to be getting rained on with little fire ants?" he said.
The Hawaiʻi Ant Lab, operating on Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu, is a grassroots organization committed to preventing the spread of invasive ants.
However, on Hawaiʻi Island, it may already be too late for complete eradication.
"Unfortunately for Hawaiʻi Island, we are beyond the point of eradication," he said. "... Our main target really is to monitor our ports of entry for what comes in and what goes out, and the education to the community."
This interview aired on The Conversation on July 19, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
