Community help needed to eradicate little fire ants

Courtesy of Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee

A Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee crew member inspects a palm tree for little fire ants.

Courtesy of Courtesy of Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee

Peanut butter and popsicle sticks remain the best tools in a surveyor’s kit on the hunt for little fire ants.

Courtesy state Department of Agriculture

Tropical fire ants, above, are often mistaken for little fire ants, which are around 1/16th of an inch long.

Courtesy of Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee

Little fire ants, called “monsters” by representatives of the Hawai‘i Ant Lab, have been found in three locations on the North Shore.

Courtesy of Eli Sarnat

Even experts must view specimens under a microscope to properly identify little fire ants.

LIHU‘E — One nest can fit inside a macadamia nut. One colony can cover acres. They treat smaller insects like livestock, and can remain undetected for years — until they rain from the trees, stinging people, livestock and pets.

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