Stop the Little Fire Ant

1 Report infestations to: State Pest Hotline: 643-PEST (643-7378). Please kokua! What is the Little fire ant? Stop the . For more information, contact: Little fire ants (LFA), Wasmannia auro- In the Galapagos Islands, LFA prevent work- Hawai i Department of Agriculture punctata, are stinging ants that are new to ers from harvesting coffee. While no serious Hawai i, and spreading. In East Hawai i, LFA injuries to people from LFA stings have been Hilo: 16 E. Lanikaula St, 989-9289 LFA only Honolulu: 1428 S. King St, 973-9538. Little fire Ant are widespread between lower Puna and Laup hoehoe. There is at least one infesta- reported, those who might have an anaphylac- tic allergic reaction could suffer serious harm.

2 Kahului: 635 Mua St, 873-3962. tion on both Kaua i and Maui, and recent Pets, livestock and wild animals are also at risk L hu e: 4398 Pua Loke St, 274-3072. A Tiny New Stinging Ant findings have been reported in Kona. New for LFA stings. Multiple stings in the eyes can Spreading Across Hawai i infestations should be reported to the Hawai i result in blindness by secondary infection or Department of Agriculture (HDOA) immedi- even the death of newly born or small animals. This brochure was created through cooperation ately by calling 643-PEST or one of the A heavy LFA infestation can negatively among the following agencies: offices listed on the back of this brochure.

3 Impact commercial, recreational, or residential LFA are transported to new sites in potted uses of property, and the presence of the pest Hawai i Department of Agriculture plants or on plant is a disclosure USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service materials, green- issue in property University of Hawai i at M noa, waste, and rubbish. sales. Gloves, College of Tropical Agriculture and They are serious boots, and full- Human Resources, pests that infest body covering Dept. of Plant and Environmental yards and agricul- are needed in Protection Sciences tural fields, and severely infested Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species they will move into areas, where houses and other any contact with Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit LFA easily fall from trees Carefully inspect plants be- structures.

4 The and get under clothes fore transporting them foliage, including Hawaii Invasive Species Council, Little fire ants on the big end of a chopstick bites from these sitting on lawns, Public Outreach Working Group very tiny ants ini- can invite stings. tially hurt and burn, The ant is native to Central and South This brochure was made possible, in part, and then may cause America, but it has spread around the Pa- by a cooperative agreement from the welts followed by cific. It was first noticed in Hawai i in 1999 at Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant ALIEN. Health Inspection Service (APHIS). intense itching that Hawaiian Paradise Park in Puna.

5 Although It may not express the views of APHIS. PEST can last for two HDOA worked to contain the initial infesta- ALERT weeks or more. tions, the ant already had been inadvertently Photos: W. Nagamine and C. Hirayama, HDOA, LFA are found spread from infested plant nurseries. Ranit Kirschenbaum, CTAHR. Pet with clouded corneas both on the ground Eradication is being attempted on Kaua i and and in vegetation. Maui. On Hawai i, where there are numerous They climb onto plants of all sizes, including infestations, limited agency resources and per- Production: Office of Communication Services, trees, but they easily fall off when the plants sonnel make it virtually impossible to eradicate College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Your help is needed are disturbed.

6 Activities such as pruning (CTAHR), University of Hawai i at M noa. this pest or conduct adequate control programs. The University of Hawai i is an equal opportunity/. in reporting this harmful pest branches, harvesting fruit, or picking flowers in The public's help is essential in detecting the affirmative action institution. and limiting its spread. infested areas can cause LFA to rain down in Little fire ant where it is not yet known to be CTAHR Insect Pest publication IP-24 (rev.), Mar. 2010. CTAHR publications can be found at State Pest Hotline: large numbers. Some orchard workers in East present and in assisting with serious, sustained 643-PEST (643-7378) Hawai i have quit their jobs because of this.

7 Efforts to control this pest on private properties. Identifying Detecting You can help by looking out for Little fire ants, Examining the roots of potted plants for LFA base of trees. Check the sticks after about an overnight to kill the ants. Please do not transport reporting their presence, and helping to control is helpful, but the best way to detect LFA is hour. LFA do not travel very far from their nests, live ants. new infestations. Another stinging red ant, the to place a peanut butter coated stick on the so place sticks no more than 10 12 yards apart. To have the identification of the ants con- tropical fire ant (Solenopsis geminata), locally surface of the pot for an hour to see if it attracts firmed, drop off the bag at one of the Hawai i Step 3: Pick up sticks with ants carefully or called red ant, is common in Hawai i.

8 Tropical ants. Whenever you purchase a new plant, Department of Agriculture (HDOA) offices listed they will fall off and put them in a sealable fire ants are irritating but much less harmful than doing this would be a reasonable precaution. on the back of this brochure. Please provide plastic bag. Other ants may also be attracted to LFA. If you have LFA, do not transport any plants or the complete address of the site where the the bait. Examine the ants on the peanut butter. Little fire ants plant materials to other locations. Are they red-orange? ants were found and a contact phone number. are tiny red-orange ants 1 16 inch long (about Step 1: Smear a thin coat of peanut butter Are they no longer than 1 16 inch (the thick- as long as a penny is thick); tropical fire ants on one end of wooden chopsticks or popsicle ness of a penny)?

9 Are more than twice the size, 1 8 1 4 inch long sticks (a thick coat doesn't work as well). You Are they slow-moving, and do they fall off the are slow-moving until disturbed can spray-paint the sticks a bright color to stick easily when you tap the side of the stick? Controlling have workers that are all the same small size, make retrieval easier, but allow the paint to dry Step 4: If you can answer YES to these ques- It is very important that you report suspected new unlike tropical fire ants, which have a few before applying the peanut butter. tions, then you may have the Little fire ant. Seal larger workers with bigger heads.

10 Infestations of LFA to the State Pest Hotline, 643- Step 2: Place the sticks around your property, the plastic bag, write your name and phone PEST (643-7378), and seek expert advice if you preferably in the shade, in plants and at the number on the bag, and place it in the freezer believe you have an LFA infestation. HDOA field staff can confirm identification, record the loca- Little fire ant tion, and advise you on how proceed. 8 inch 1 Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Little fire ants are relatively baits that can be purchased at easy to suppress in small areas, hardware and garden stores or Tropical fire ant but they can be very difficult to agrichemical supply companies.