Hawaii residents are once again urged to check for little fire ants on their properties as state agencies hold “Stop the Ant Month” throughout October.
As the war against the invasive ant continues across all four counties, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and Hawaii Invasive Species Council are asking residents to take samples of ant populations on their properties and send them into local labs to help determine how the destructive insects are spreading.
In addition to painful stings against humans, the ants can cause domesticated animals to go blind and drive native species out of their habitats.
Cas Vanderwoude, senior research specialist for the Hawaii Ant Lab, said the little fire ants are firmly entrenched on the Big Island, particularly on the windward side, but there also are substantial populations in West Hawaii.
“They’re still spreading; we’re still struggling to get funding,” Vanderwoude said.
While Vanderwoude said persistent drought conditions have had some impacts on the spread of the ants — which prefer wetter weather — he added that those impacts are negligible in the bigger picture.
“Anywhere that people live, the ants can do just fine,” Vanderwoude said.
While the Ant Lab continues to work with companies to develop and test new pesticides and other tools to mitigate the insects, it also shares strategies and tools residents can use to manage the pests on their own properties.
“You could get rid of all the ants on your property if you really worked at it, but it’s a forever job,” Vanderwoude said. “Even if you don’t have ants, your neighbors do. But you can control them with a half-hour job every four to six weeks or so. It’s like cutting the grass — it gets long, you deal with it.”
Vanderwoude said that hiring a professional to manage ant infestations is expensive, so residents often choose to deal with the problem themselves. But in inexperienced hands, some ant-killing products can be ineffective or even harmful.
“It’s really worthwhile to get the right information and do it right the first time,” Vanderwoude said, adding that pesticides, when improperly applied, can harm pets, other benign species or get into water sources. He urged residents to read directions properly and consult online resources to determine the best product for their specific situation.
Vanderwoude also recommended that residents send ant samples to either of the Ant Lab’s offices in Hilo or Kona, or to the Big Island Invasive Species Committee.
By visiting StopTheAnt.org, people can request a free ant-collection kit, or they can make their own by leaving chopsticks smeared with peanut butter around their properties.
After a half-hour, the chopsticks should be placed in a sealable container and frozen overnight to kill the ants before the sticks are sent to a lab.
More information about how to mitigate little fire ants can be found at stoptheant.org or littlefireants.com.
Testing kits can be mailed to or dropped off at BIISC at 23 East Kawili St., Hilo, HI 96720, the Hawaii Ant Lab’s Hilo office at 16 E. Lanikaula St., Hilo, HI 96720, or its Kona office at 79-7381 Old Mamalahoa Hwy, Kealakekua, HI 96750.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.