Newsletter of the Maui Invasive Species Committee

Spring 2012

Kia‘i i Na Moku o Maui Nui“Guarding the Islands of Maui County”

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In this issue:• HowLittlefireantswereeradicatedfromMaui• Partners in Prevention―the Hawai‘i Department

ofAgriculture

• Whattolookfor&howtoreporttheworstoftheworst

• NewScience―Spacklingforants

See "Moeana" on page 4

FollowingRutaintothechurch,Ifeltalleyesonus.Tahiti’smorningheatwastakingatollonthecongregation.Tahitianmeninsuitsandsandalsrestedtheirheadsintheirhandsasifinprayer,theirwives,inelaborate

lace-bodiced dresses, fanned themselves, and children squirmed—takingadvantage of the distraction we caused to escape out the door. Ruta, ourgenerousandopen-heartedhostthatmorning,pointedtoseveralemptychairsatthefront,facingthecongregation.Obediently,wesat.Ifeltthepullofthiscommunitywelcomingus,thoughnotwithoutcuriosity:first askingwhywewerehere, andthen,ifwehadanyanswers.

Wehadcome tocreateafilmabout littlefireants (LFA),whichhad justbeendetectedonMaui.Unfortunately,thesedevastatingpestsarespreadingontheislandofTahiti.WewantedtodocumentTahiti’splightwiththehope

Moeana’sMessage―WhatTahitiCanTeachusaboutLittleFireAnts

By Lissa Fox StroheckerMISC Outreach and Education

thatpublicawarenessoftheproblemwouldleadtogreatersupportforpreventionandcontroloflittlefireants,bothinHawai‘iandthroughoutthePacific.

Ourfilmcrewconsistedoftwovideographers,twoinvasivespeciesspecialists,andaTahitian-bornpastrychefwhotranslatedandhelpedusnavigatethe islandandtheculture.His familyhosted us, overwhelming us with hospitality,which included a generous invitation to acommunity church service. We coordinatedour trip with economist Donna Lee and antspecialist Dr. Cas Vanderwoude, who wereinvestigatingtheeconomicimpactsoflittlefireants.OurofficialguidewasMarylineSimon,theonlyfull-timegovernmentemployeeaddressingtheproblemant,or la petite fourmis de feu,asit’sknowninTahiti.Shehadspentweekspriorto our arrival setting up meetings for us withpeople impacted by little fire ants--everyonefromfarmersandhotelmanagerstotheheadoftheMinistryoftheEnvironment.

We spent our days jumping in and out ofpeople’s lives,filmingas they told theirstories.Littlefireantswreakedhavocinsomanyareas.A farmer told us that the ants and the insectsassociated with them stress his crops. Hisharvestshaveshrunk,despitecostlyapplicationsofpesticide.ScientiststalkedaboutdeclinesinbiodiversityelsewhereinthePacificoncetheants

moved in. Anenvironmentalconsultant

described how construction inadvertentlyspreads the ants, and I understood how fastandfartheycouldtravel.Whenatownplanner

Moeana Besa and her family live in a part of Tahiti plagued by little fire ants.

“This place used to be paradise.”

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Look closely. Little fire ants (life-size at 1/16 ") are barely noticeable until you are stung.

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Beafraid.Beveryafraid.Invasivespeciesworkrequires

a lot of persuasion. Fundingagencieshavetounderstandthereisaseriousproblemandarealisticsolutionto justify spending taxpayer dollars.Residents must be willing to sacrificetheir sense of privacy for the greatergoodtoallowstrangerstowalkacrosstheirpropertyorhauloffanattractiveornamental they purchased, plantedandnurtured.Inmakingourcase,weoften find ourselves telling the storyof what will happen if no action istaken. It's not particularly fun--beingresponsible for creating more fear inaworldalreadyfraughtwithplentyofstress inducers.But I'mgoing todo itanyway.

InthenineyearsIhaveworkedwithMISC,Ihavecometobelieveevermoredeeply in the value of what we do. Ihavegainedamuchgreaterknowledgeand appreciation for the spectaculardiversity of our lands, for the scarlet‘i‘iwi and feather-crested ‘ākohekohe,for the sea turtle hatchlings makingtheirfirsttrektotheocean,andfortheHawaiian culture, which includes asenseofkuleana.We'reblessedto livehere and we have a responsibility toprotectwhatwehave.

That'swhyI'mscared.WhenIlearnedlittlefireants(LFA)hadbeendetectedon Maui, my heart sank. I first heardabout LFA from a visiting colleaguefromNewCaledonia,whotoldusaboutabandonedfarms,blindedlivestockandpets,andtransformedforests.Allfromatinyant.I'velearnedmoresincethen.I've spoken with a woman in Tahitiwhoseextendedfamilylefttheancestralproperty―they couldn't live with the

antinfestationanymore.I'veheardofababyontheBigIslandwhodidn’tlearntocrawlbecausehermotherwouldn'tleave her on the ground long enough.Toomanystingingants.

I'm scared because little fire antsare spreading uncontrolled on theBig Island and an entire reproduciblecolonycanfitintheshellofmacadamianut,or inacarbumper,or intheaxilofaplantleaf.Littlefireantshavebeendetected in shipments of plants andproducemovingbetweentheBigIslandand O‘ahu. It's crazy-making to knowthat every day the likelihood of theirarrivalonMaui,Moloka‘i,andLāna‘iisincreasing,despitetheheroiceffortsofour understaffed Hawai‘i DepartmentofAgriculture(HDOA)inspectors.

There is one very bright spot,exemplifiedbyHDOA'srapidresponse

Message from the Manager

By Teya PennimanMISC Manager

to the only known infestation onMaui. The innovative techniques beingdeveloped by Dr. Cas Vanderwoude,coveredelsewhereinthisnewsletter,giveuscauseforhope.

MISC is committed to surveying forlittlefireantsonourislands,inperpetuity,ifthat'swhatittakestokeeptheantfromestablishinghere.Butthemosteffectivewaytodetectnewinfestationsisthroughpublicawarenessandreporting.Ibelievethat the people of Maui County willcomethrough,as theyhave in thepast.I believe that together we can refusetoallow littlefireants to transformourislands.

Please become informed. Be afraid,but take steps to stop the ant. Inspectyour property. Test your plants. Buylocal.Spreadtheword.Thisisimportant.Mahalonui.

I believe that together we can refuse to allow little fire ants to transform our islands.

Photo by Masako Cordray

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"Guarding the Islands of Maui County" is the official newsletter of the Maui Invasive Species Committee. To join our mailing list please call 573-6472 or email miscpr@hawaii.edu.

Editor:ShannonWianeckiDesign:LissaStrohecker

EditingTeam:ElizabethAnderson

TeyaPennimanAbeVandenberg

Contributors:MasakoCordrayBrookeMahnkenCasVanderwoude

website:mauiisc.orgblog:mauiinvasive.org

miscpr@hawaii.eduP.O.Box983

Makawao,HI96768

The Maui Invasive Species Committee is a partnership of government, non-profit, and private organizations working to protect Maui County from the most harmful invasive plants and animals.

Kia‘i i Na Moku o Maui Nui

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Fire ants on the move

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See "Farm" on page 11Christina Chang discovered little fire ants on her Waihe‘e farm.

Fire at the Farm

By Elizabeth AndersonMISC Program Specialist

Back in September of 2009,ChristinaChangwaspreparingbananasfordeliverywhenshe

droppedhersunglasses.Sheretrievedher glasses and shes says, “Withinseconds I was stung on my eye. Itwas a severe response with extremepain.” As her eye turned red andswollen,shesearchedforanicepack;severalhourspassedbeforeshecouldfunction. Thus began a yearlongodysseyforChangandher‘ohana.

The unpleasant little creature thattemporarilyblinded Changwas a little fireant (LFA). Herexperienceresulted in thefirst—and todate only—discovery ofthis destructive invasive specieson Maui. The incident occurredin Waihe‘e at Lokelani ‘OhanaFarm, which serves people withdevelopmental disabilities. “The

farm offers a peaceful, rejuvenatingenvironment based in organicprinciples with an ambience ofrespect for the ‘āina and for eachother,”saysChang.“Alotoflifeskillsare developed through farming.”Each week, kids with special needscometoweedandharvestandleavewith bags of vegetables and flowers.The farm also sells organic producetolocalstoresandrestaurants.

Prior to the sunglasses incident,Changhadnoticedfarmworkersand

guests sufferingfrom stings ontheir feet—beyondwhattheynormallyexperienced withants. An employeebrought in abrochure her sonhad received in

school; itdescribedthe littlefireantthreat and gave a phone number.AfterChangwasstung,shecalledtoreportapossibleinfestation.

A state entomologist investigatedandconfirmedthat the tinystingerswere, in fact, LFA. Eliminating thepests wouldn’t be easy. “[The ants]had gotten into everything,” saysChang. “Our potted plants, ourbanana trees, the bark on our starfruit.”Toeffectivelyeradicatefireantsfrom the farm—and Maui—stateentomologists scheduled monthlyinsecticide treatments and extensivefollow-upsurveys.

Lokelani ‘Ohana staff worried

Landowner Spotlight

“We knew that the treatment would be more effective if we were really on task in the very beginning.”

Photo by Masako Cordray

Photo by Eli Sarnat

A Tahitian farmer struggling to raise crops amidst little fire ants.

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"Moeana" continued from page 1

Blind cats occur more often in areas infested by little fire ants.

explainedhisstruggletofinduninfestedland for much-needed housing, Irealized how a tiny ant could stifle acommunity’s growth. An animal loverteared up as he introduced us to hiscats, blinded by the little fire ants nowcarpetinghisproperty.

Then we met with Moeana, in whatwouldbecomethemostmemorableandhauntingexperienceofourtrip.

Moeanalivesattheendofadirtroad,far up a lush valley. “This place usedtobeparadise,”shesaid.Thebridgetoherhousewashedawayinafloodyearsagoandso,likeMoeanaandherfamily,we waded across the river. Before, shedependedonthelandforherlivelihood;

she grew food for herfamilyandflowerstosellintown.Herextendedfamilylivedinthearea,gatheringfor parties and familycelebrations. Her childrenclimbedthemangotreetograbfruit.

Then the little fire antsshowed up. She thinksthey arrived in 1994, tenyears earlier than officiallyrecognized. Since then,celebrations at Moeana’shomehavestopped.

Now, she shakes antsfromhersheetseachnightbeforegoingto bed. LFA infest her pineapples andhertaro,renderingtheminedible.Manyof her fruit trees and coconuts havedied.Shebuysallherfoodnow,makesandsellsfabricflowers,andletslantanagrowaroundthemangosoherchildrenwon’tclimb it.Relativesoutsideofherimmediatefamilyabandonedtheland.The animals are gone. Wild pigs thatonce roamed the valley disappearedandevenratsarerare.Whenthewindblows, ants rain down from the treesintoheryardandontoherhouse.Shetries to control them with pesticide,butanyreliefistemporary.Shedoesn’tletheryoungestchildplayintheyardbecauseofthestingingants.

Moeana almost refused to seeus. She had granted interviews tolocal television stations, but she wasfrustrated. None of it had helped; shewasleftalonetodealwiththeants.She

agreed toseeusonlybecausewewerefrom Hawai‘i and she hoped that herstorywouldreachsomeonewhocouldhelp.

Wewadedbackacrosstheriverwitha heavy feeling in our hearts. Invasivespecies affect everyone, but thosewith fewer resources are often hit firstand hardest. Families in Tahiti, NewCaledonia, and Papua New Guineaconfrontthesamesituation.Wehadnoclearanswers,norealsolution.Currentresearch is focused on removing smallpopulations, but funding is limited.Wefacethesameproblemsathomein

Ruta from Tahiti

Hawai‘i,onlywiththeadvantageoftime.Before traveling to Tahiti, I knew

little fire ants were definitely a pest—abig problem for farmers and theenvironment—butIwasunpreparedfortheseverityofthesituation.Liveswerecompletely altered by this tiny pest. IthoughtaboutthelifeIloveinHawai‘i.Iwanttokeepgardening,growingfood,raisingchickensandducks,andhikingwithout stinging ants raining down onme.Someday,whenIhavechildren, Iwant them to crawl in the grass andclimb trees without being stung. NowI will vigilantly quarantine and testanyplants Ibringhome,andhopemyneighborswillaswell.

I hope the stories we filmed conveytherealityoftryingtolivewiththeantandinspirelocaleffortstostopitfromspreadinginHawai‘i.IhopeoureffortsherecanhelpourneighborsthroughoutthePacific.

All photos by Masako Cordray

Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture inspectors Kyle Yagi and Catherine Davenport search produce to prevent new pests from reaching Hawai‘i.

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HDOA inspector Marshall Loope holds a brown tree snake. The brown tree snake is one of many species HDOA is on the look-out for.

Partners Pulling Together

Don’t be fooled by its no-fussname:theHawai‘iDepartmentofAgriculture(HDOA)isanything

but dull. Behind those crisp blue shirtsaresomeofthemostcreative,energetic,anddedicatedstateworkersyouwillfind.Tryout thesedescriptors toget a senseofwhat theagencydoes: snakehandler,exploratory entomologist, educator,advocate, law enforcer, pesticideapplicatorexaminer,irrigationspecialist,andantwrangler.

The department’s plant quarantineandplantpestcontrolbranchesprovideexamples of just how challenging andcrucialtheirworkis.

According to Anna Mae Shishido,who retired in 2011 after many yearsof managing Maui’s plant quarantineoperations,inspectionworkisextremelydynamic. The freighters come in atnight, so inspectors shift their scheduleto adjust to what’s happening. Shishidosaid, “We try to meet every flight atnight,sometimesrunningfromplanetoplane to baggage claim to freight.” The

maritimestaffchecksproducefromthemainland,heavyequipment,andprivatevehicles.

Commercial shipments aren’t theonlywaypestsmove:littlefireantsweredetected in transit to Maui on ti leavesbroughtoverbyanindividualpassenger.AccordingtoShishido,“Youalwayshaveto be on your toes. You have to sensewhensomethingisn’tright.Youhavetorememberallthepestsandknowwhat’snotnormal.Youhavetobesuspicious.”

Despite the hard and late-night workof the inspectors, some pests make itthrough. That’s when the Plant PestControlBranch(PPC)jumpsintoaction.Neil Reimer, PPC branch manager,explainedthathisdivisionisresponsibleforplantpests,weeds,andpathogens,as

On The JobBy Teya PennimanMISC Manager

wellasforfinding,testing,andreleasingnew “natural predators” to controlwidespread pest species. It's no smallorder,especiallygivenareductioninstaffsincethe1990s.

OnMaui,HDOAstaffhasoftenbeenthefirsttodetectanewharmfulspecies,suchasbananabunchytopvirusorthewiliwiligallwasp.

The Plant Pest Control Branch oftenusestraditionalmechanicalandchemicalcontrol methods, but it’s no strangerto innovation. When Christina Changdiscovered the little fire ant in Waihe‘e(seestory,page3),sheknewsheneededhelp,but shedidn’tknowherknight in

shining armor wouldbe packing a forced-air,funnel-shaped spacklerloaded with a peanutbutter-based slurry. Dr.Cas Vanderwoude, theant specialist workingwith the PPC Branch,

saysaboutlittlefireants,“Acookie-cutterapproachwon’twork.Youneedtohavelocal solutions to address differencesbetweenislandsandhabitatdifferences.”

TheMauiInvasiveSpeciesCommitteebenefits greatly from the Departmentof Agriculture’s expertise on a varietyof fronts, not only with little fire ants.For example, MISC staff receivespesticide applicator certification fromHDOA. Department entomologistshelpidentifyunusualinsectsreportedtoMISC.HDOAstaffparticipatesinveiledchameleonsurveysandtakespossessionofallillegalreptilesandamphibians.Ourcollaborative outreach activities (withlive snakes and lizards) have allowedMISC to reach a broader audience.How important is the Department of

Agriculture’swork?Hawai‘iimportsmorethanninetypercentofitsfoodfromthemainlandandforeigncountries.HDOAreceiveslessthanone-halfpercentofthetotal state budget—and is responsibleformakingsurethatwhatwegrowandimportissafetoeatandwon’tdamageournativeforests,economy,orlifestyle.Andwhilethey’reatit,theyactivelypromotelocal agriculture. Fewer imported fruitsandvegetablesmean fewerpest specieshitchhikingaridetoHawai‘i.

We owe the Hawai‘i Departmentof Agriculture a huge mahalo forthe successful (and unprecedented)eradicationoflittlefireantsfromMaui―and also for their unrelenting efforts atourportsandharbors,nurseries, farms,andranches.We’rehonoredtoworkwithyou!

Behind those crisp blue shirts are some of the most creative, energetic, and dedicated state workers you will find.

All photos by Masako Cordray

LFA stings leave unusually itchy welts that last for days.

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By Shannon WianeckiMISC Editor and Curriculum Writer

Littlefireants(LFA)maybetiny,buttheypackapowerfulpunch.Native toSouthandCentralAmerica, thesespeck-sized invadershavehitchhikedacrossthePacific, leavingatrailofwelts intheir

path.Muchsmallerthantheaverageantscuttlingacrossyourcountertop,LFAareaboutaslongasapennyisthick.Theirpowerfulstingscancauseintenseburning,itching,andweltsthatlastforweeks.

“It’sdifficulttocomprehendhowone,smallantspeciescouldimpactagriculture, society,and theenvironment,” saysHawai‘iantexpert,Dr.CasVanderwoude.“Littlefireantsareoneoftheworstinvasivespeciesimaginable on Pacific Islands.” They invade houses, gardens, forests,andbeaches—prettymucheverywhere.Theantsarealsoarboreal;theyswarmupplantsandtrees.Whendisturbed,theydropoff,fallingontohair,clothing,orpet’sfur.Unsuspectingvictimsarethenpepperedwithpainfulstings.

The invasive ants are wreaking havoc in Tahiti, New Caledonia, theSolomonIslands,and,morerecently,inHawai‘i.Theyaddanintolerableburden to farming operations. They blind pets. They attack turtlehatchlingsandnestingbirds.Childrencan’tplayinyardsinfestedwithants;sunbatherscan’tenjoyadayatthebeachwhereLFAfreelyroam.Hikersseekingarefreshingdipinforeststreamsarestungbyantsfloatingbyonleafrafts.

LFAaretramps:theyrelyonothersfortransportationtonewareas.Theantsmoveslowlyontheirown,butreadilyhitchridesoncargo.Sinceanentirenestfitsintoamacadamiashell,travelingunnoticediseasy.Oncethey’vearrived,theydominate,drivingotherinsectspeciesout.SeparateLFAcoloniesdon’tfightoneanother;instead,theyformsuper-coloniesblanketingthegroundandfoliage.

SincearrivinginHawai‘i,theweeantshavebecomeahugenuisance.

Spot the Ant Stop the Ant

Stop little fire ants! Search your property for LFA by following these simple steps:1. Smearathincoatofpeanutbutteronone

endofsomewoodenchopsticks.2. Placethesticksaroundyourproperty,in

theshadeandatthebaseoftrees.3. Checksticksafteranhour.Carefullypick

upthestickswithantsandplacetheminasealableplasticbag.Examinethem.

4. Ifyes,youmayhavefoundthelittlefireant.Writeyournameandphonenumberonthebag.Placeitinthefreezerovernight.Mailto:MISC,POBOX983Makawao,HI96768.MISCwillletyouknowifyouhaveLFA.

Littlefireants(LFA)aremuchhardertocontrolthanotherpestantspecies.Why?Becausenearlyallgoodantbaitsaremadefromgranules,whichcanbeeasilyspreadovertheground.ButLFAalsoliveintrees―uptofiftyfeethighinthecrownsofcoconutpalms, for example―and it is these colonies thatcausethemostproblems.

Granular baits are reasonably effective againstLFAcoloniesontheground,butdonotaffectthearborealcomponent.Aftertheground-dwellersarecontrolled, the tree-dwellers simply expand theirterritories…andsothecyclecontinues.Todate,theonlyoptionavailablehasbeentodrencheverytreewithresidualinsecticidesfromtrunktocrown.Useofsuchlargeamountsof insecticideisnotagoodpracticeandoftenwillimpactotherlivingorganismsintheenvironment.

Inresponsetothisissue,scientistsattheHawai‘iDepartment of Agriculture (HDOA) Plant PestControl Branch, and University of Hawai‘i-PacificCooperative Studies Unit (PCSU) developed thetoolstocontroltreecolonies,includinganewbait.It’snotagranulebutapaste—abouttheconsistencyofmayonnaise,soitwillsticktofoliage.ThechemicalcompanyDupontcollaboratedwithfolksinHawai‘itodevelopthisnewbaitand,inthebestlocalstyle,weworkedoutawayofapplyingittothecrownsoftreeswithouthavingtoclimbeachtree.

The staff at PCSU and HDOA teamed up withBrian Nadeau, an ingenious retired industrial

New ScienceBy Cas Vanderwoude, Ph.D. State Ant Specialist

TinyAnt,HugeNuisance

• Aretheyred-orange?• Aretheysmallerthan1/8thinch?• Dotheyfalloffthechopstickeasily?

www.fireantfreemaui.org

Photo by Cas Vanderwoude

This Hawai‘i Island cat lives on a property infested with LFA.

LFA are at home in banana trees. Infestations of LFA make it nearly impossible to harvest tree-growing fruit.

Cas prepares for a field day

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Firstdetectedin1999,ontheIslandofHawai‘i,theytraveled via the planttrade to new locationson that island and alsoto Kaua‘i. Fruit andflowerpickersatinfestedorchardshavequittheirjobstoescapethetormentofconstantstings.Owners of ant-riddled properties must disclose this information toprospectivebuyers.

OnMaui,asingleinfestationwasdiscoveredatafarminWaihe‘e(see“FireontheFarm,”page3).Inthisbest-casescenario,theantscoveredlessthanhalfanacreandwerepromptlyroutedoutbeforetheycouldspreadelsewhere.Thankstothecooperativeeffortsofthefarmownersandstateworkers,Mauidodgedabullet.However,trace-backeffortswere unable to determine where the ants had initially come from.Becauseofthedifficultyindetectingtheminusculeinvaders,it’slikelythatother,undiscoveredcoloniesexist.

Finding little fireantsbefore they’vehad time to spread is critical.HeavilyinfestedEastHawai‘inolongerhastheoptionoferadicatingthepest,butMauiCountystandsagoodchanceofremainingLFA-free.Hawai‘iDepartmentofAgriculturestaffandMauiandMoloka‘iinvasivespeciescommitteefieldcrewslogmanyhoursinthefieldsearchingforLFA.They’vebeenassistedbyschoolchildrenonMaui,Moloka‘i,andLāna‘i,whoconductsurveysaspartofareal-lifelessoninscience.

LittlefireantscouldseriouslyalterthecarefreelifestyleweenjoyintheIslands;it’suptoeachofustostopthemintheirtracks.Learnmoreatwww.lfa-hawaii.org

painterfromHāmākua.Brianisabitofabackyardinventor and we put our heads together. Wemodified some painting equipment, combinedit with technology used for paint-ball guns, gotcompressedairfromB&BScubainKīhei,andthe“SpacklerofDeath”wasborn.

The new delivery tool involves an intriguingvarietyofparts.Atitsheart,it’satexturegun—aspecialpaintsprayerusedbycontractorstoapplytextured paint. Usually these sprayers are drivenby air compressors—way too bulky to use overlargeareas.Sotheteambuiltaportableversion,usingapressurizedtankfromapaintballgunandanadapterthatallowedtheoutputpressuretobeadjusted.Theairtankisrefilledwithascubatank(again,withaspecialadapter).

Theresult:astrange-lookingcontraptionwithabrightredhopper.Whilethespacklermightlookpoised to spray-paint garden plants, it actuallyshootsstickylittleblobsofantbaitabout15feetupintothetrees.

The team tested the concept on the newlydiscovered outbreak on Maui. Treatment startedinOctober2009andcontinueduntilSeptember2010. No little fire ants have been detected onthesitesinceFebruary2010;itappearsthattheyhave been eradicated. Scientists will continue tomonitorthesiteforseveralyearstoensurethatnoantsremain.

If you want to see the Spackler of Deathin action, Chris Reickert from Makawaotook some great video footage. Check outthe video link on mauiinvasive.org under"InvasiveAnimals."

Dr. Cas Vanderwoude is the State Ant Specialist with the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawai‘i. He works closely with the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, Plant Pest Control Branch, and is based at the HDOA office in Hilo. He can be contacted at casperv@hawaii.edu or through littlefireants.com

Editorsnote:Cas'innovationallowedtheeradicationoftheonlyLFAoutbreakknownfromMaui.

MISC file photo

Photo by Masako Cordray

MahalotothefollowingforsupportingworkonlittlefireantsinMauiCounty:Alexander&BaldwinFoundation

CountyofMauiHawai‘iBiodiversityInformationNetwork

Hawai‘iCommunityFoundationHawai‘iDepartmentofAgriculture

HawaiianElectricTri-IsleRC&D

UH―PacificCooperativeStudiesUnitUSFish&WildlifeService

RIFA have red & black bodies, build large mounds, and their heads are never wider than their bodies.

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Hey Doc,I keep hearing about these fire ants. You

know, they’ve been here long time already. I have ‘em at my house and I see ‘em at the beach. They swarm my feet and those buggahs sting. You wanna get rid of ‘em? Start at my house.-Inflamed about Fire Ants

Tolearnmore,visitwww.lfa-hawaii.org.OnMaui,immediatelyreportanysuspiciousantstoMISC:573-6472.

MISCellaneous FilesGood points, Inflamed. The pests you’ve encountered are probably tropical fire ants. They have

been here a long time—but they aren’t as bad as the little fire ants just starting to invade Hawai‘i. We’re also on the lookout for the red imported fire ant, which is devastating the Southwestern United States but hasn’t made to Hawai‘i—yet. Check the table below to learn how to tell them apart.

Mahalo!Dr. MISCellaneous

Little fire ants (LFA) (Wasmannia auropunctata)REPORT IMMEDIATELY

Red imported fire ants (RIFA) (Solenopsis invicta)

REPORT IMMEDIATELY

Tropical fire ants (TFA)(Solenopsis geminata)

Do not reportPresence

inHawai‘i:WidespreadinHiloarea,smallinfestationonKaua‘i

intercepted twice in shipmentsboundforHawai‘i

common

Size&BodyColor:

hardtosee:1/16"long,sizeofapenciltip;reddish-orange

easy to see: 1/8 to 1/4" long,width of pencil eraser; red &black;headsNEVERwiderthanbody

easy to see: 1/8 to 1/4" long,width of pencil eraser; red &black;headscanbewider thanbody

Nest: intreesandunderleaflitter,nomounds

largemoundsinlawnsanddry,openspaces

small mounds on lawns andotherdry,openspaces

Behavior&

Sting:

not aggressive; sting people'sneckandarmsafterdroppingfromfoliageandbeingtrapped

extremely aggressive; stingpeople’s feetand legs indefenseofnests

aggressive; sting people’s feetandlegsindefenseofnests

Impact: public health, agriculture, andenvironment

public health, agriculture, andenvironment

painful annoyance, but lessdevastating

Life-sizePhoto:

LFA (below) do not build mounds and are much smaller than TFA (above).

LFA

TFA have red & black bodies, build small mounds, and their heads are sometimes wider than their bodies.

...and on the Big Island, trades 10-15, cloudy with a chance of LFA

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Volunteer Spotlight

In 2005, the Maui Invasive SpeciesCommittee (MISC) was workingto get Hō‘ike o Haleakalā off the

bookshelves and into the hands ofteachers.TheHawai‘i-basedhighschoolscience curriculum, developed bylocal scientists and educators, engagesstudents inreal-life lessonsdrawnfrom

theuniquenativeecosystemsofHawai‘i.Serendipitously, University of Hawai‘i

entomology graduate student WillHainesadoptedaHō‘ike activity—little fire antsurveys—asthe basis forhis scholarship work. He worked withSeabury Hall science teacher SherriReedteachingstudentstosurveyforandidentify ants. The savvy entomologistdeveloped an online dichotomous keytoassiststudentswithidentification.Thelesson proved so successful that Reedexpandeditthefollowingyear;shewroteagranttodomoreintensivesurveysandpurchase global positioning systems(GPS) for her students to collect andrecordtheirdata.

completely eradicate them. Thanks, inpart, to the school’s involvement, therapidresponseeffortwasatotalsuccess!

Thethreatoflittlefireantscontinues,andsowilltheschoolvisitsandsurveys.Since 2006, nearly 1,500 studentsthroughout Maui County have learnedtosurveyforlittlefireants.

Contact our public relations teamat miscpr@hawaii.edu to schedule aclassroom visit or training for yourgroupororganization.Learnmoreaboutlittlefireantsatwww.lfa-hawaii.org.TheentireHō‘ikeoHaleakalāCurriculumisonlineatwww.hoikecurriculum.org.

By Lissa Fox StroheckerOutreach and Education Specialist

Meanwhile, MISC educators werevisiting classrooms all over Maui,engagingtheminisland-widesurveysforlittle fire ants. For homework, studentscollected ants from their yards withpeanutbutter-baitedchopsticks.Inclass,theypeeredintomicroscopestoidentifythesix-leggedcreatures.MISCdelivered

any suspiciousspecimens to theHawai‘i DepartmentofAgriculture.

All these little fireantsurveysturnedout

tobemorethanaclassroomexercise.In2006,JoyGormansatinonherson’s

science class at Kalama IntermediateSchool whilestudents workedon the Hō‘ikelittle fire antactivity. Three

years later, she and farmer ChristinaChangwerestungbytinyredantswhilehanging laundry on the line. Gormanthoughtbacktothatclassroomvisit.Shewenthomeanddugoutthebrochuretoshow Chang. A few weeks later Changwasstungagain,thistimenearhereye.ShecalledtoreportwhatturnedouttobeMaui’sfirstlittlefireantinfestation.

Becausetheantsweredetectedbeforetheyhadachancetospread,theHawai‘iDepartment of Agriculture was able to

Education saves the day―How a class visit led to the detection of the little fire ant on Maui

The problem: How do you find a speck-sized ant on the 727-square-mile island of Maui?

The solution: lots of eyes out there looking!

Students at Aka‘ula School on Moloka‘i learn how to identify little fire ants during a classroom visit based on a lesson from the Hō‘ike o Haleakalā Curriculum . MISC file photo

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GrowingupintheruraleastMauicommunity of Ke‘anae, DarrellAquino learned early that hard

work,helpingyourneighbor,andlivingapono lifewas“justwhatyoudid, justhowitis.”Yearslater,Aquinocontinuesto exemplify the attributes that wereingrainedinhimduringhissmallkiddays.

The son ofkalo farmers,Aquino couldn’twaittoleavethebackbreakingworkbehindandsee the world—and that’s whathe did. He joined the Air Force as anequipment operator in an engineeringunit and spent twenty years workingonthemainland,inEurope,theMiddleEast, Asia, and the Pacific. AquinoreturnedtoMauiin1993toretirefromhis military career. He reminisces, “AtthattimeIthoughtIwouldcomebackhomeandstartgrowingtaroagainonasmall scale.”BobHobdy, anold friendattheDepartmentofLandandNaturalResources(DLNR),hadotherplansforAquino.

“IsawBoboneday,acoupleofyearsafterIgotback,andhetoldmeIshouldhelp out with the miconia project. Wearguedbackandforthforawhileaboutit

andeventuallyhejustsaidhe’dseemeatworkonMondaymorning.Idon’tevenrememberagreeingtotakethejob,butIshoweduponMondayandhavebeenwith the project ever since. That wasoverfifteenyearsago!”

Management of the miconia projecthas since changedhands, and Aquinotransitioned fromDLNR to the MauiInvasive SpeciesCommittee (MISC).Hehasservedasthefield crew leader forthe miconia projectin Hāna and nowleads the Pi‘iholo-

basedvertebratecrew.He’sbecomeoneofmosthighlytrainedmembersintheMISC‘ohana.

His diverse skills include everythingfrom welding to designing pumpsand building PR displays. His huntingprowess is legendary. When a formerMISC employee bet Darrell that hecouldn’t catch a fish in less than fiveminutesduringhightide,Darrelluppedthebetbystatingthathecouldcatchafishinlessthanoneminuteduringlowtide–whichhedid.Doubleornothingconsisted of Darrell using his net tocapture his co-worker who tried tooutrun the net. They stopped bettingafterthat.

Dauntless DarrellStaff Spotlight

By Adam RadfordMISC Operations Manager

In typical Aquino fashion, he wasquick to seize the opportunity forthree weeks of brown tree snake rapidresponse training in Guam. “It was apretty good trip,” says Aquino. “Wehandledlotsofsnakesanditremindedme of the Philippines.” Should theserpenteversurfaceonMaui,Aquinoisprepared.“I’mjustgladthattherearenosnakes inHawai‘i though...one tried tojumponme!I’mfinehuntingpigsanddeerfornow,butifIeverneedto,Iknowhowtohuntsnakes.”

“Aquino is the ideal snake hunter,”explains Elizabeth Anderson, MISC’sProgramSpecialist.“Heisexceptionallygoodatfindingallofourtargetspeciesandhecanbecountedontorespondatamoment’snoticeifneeded.I’msurehewouldeven respondafter retirement ifweaskedhimto.”

Heprobablywould.OneofAquino’sgreatestattributesisthathereallycaresabout Maui. If you ask him aboutconservation projects that have beenlessthansuccessful,hebecomesvisiblyupset.“Youknow,allthatworkgoesintosomething,andyouknowyoucanmakeadifference…andthentheplanchangesorthemoneyrunsout.That’swhatgetsme. Fortunately, MISC is on the righttrack.”

AquinocaresaboutmorethanMaui'snatural environment; he also caresabout its community. Aquino and hiswife Evelyn have been caregivers forelderly and disabled persons at theirhome, some for several years. Fivehānai children grew up alongsidetheir two children. His generous spiritshinesthroughinmanyways.IfyouaskAquinotohelpoutwithaparty,heofferstocookallthefoodandshowsupearlytoassist.

When asked why Aquino stillworks full-time with all of theseother demands—and that postponedretirement plan—he says, “Every dayis a challenge. You constantly have toovercome new obstacles and adaptto changing circumstances. I like thechallenge.Allthatotherstuffinmylifeisjustwhatyoudo,howitis.”

Itmustbetruethatwhatyoulearnasakidstayswithyouforever.

“I don’t even remember agreeing to take the job, but I showed up on Monday and have been with the project ever since.”

MISCfilephoto

MISC Committee MembersChair:PatBily,TheNatureConservancyVice-Chair:FernDuvall,Ph.D.,DLNR-DoFAWChairEmeritus:RandyBartlett,EastMauiWatershedPartnershipSteveAnderson,NPS-HaleakalāNationalParkJoshAtwood,Ph.D.,Hawai‘iInvasiveSpeciesCouncilDanielClark,U.S.FishandWildlifeServiceDavidDuffy,Ph.D.,UH-PacificCooperativeStudiesUnitStuartFunke-d'Egnuff,Tri-IsleRC&DJeremyGooding,NPS-PacificIslandsExoticPlantManagementTeamBobHobdy,CommunityMember,retiredDLNRJamesLeary,Ph.D.,UniversityofHawai‘i-CTAHRLloydLoope,Ph.D.,UnitedStatesGeologicalSurveyRobParsons,CountyofMaui

MoMISC (Moloka‘i)Committee MembersChair:ButchHaase,Moloka‘iLandTrustEllaAlcon,CountyCouncilLiaisonAltonArakakai,UniversityofHawai‘i-CTAHRAneBakutis,DLNR-PlantExtinctionPreventionProgramBillGarnett,RarePlantSpeciesRecovery-Moloka‘iJenniferHawkins,UniversityofHawai‘i-CTAHRWallaceJennings,USDA-NaturalResourcesConservationServiceBobJoy,USDA–PlantMaterialsCenterDebbieKelly,Moloka‘i-Lāna‘iSoilandWaterConservationDistrictJessicaLudgate,USDA-NaturalResourcesConservationServiceChevalier“Chevy”Levasa,USDAAPHIS-PQEdMisaki,TheNatureConservancy-Moloka‘iBillPuleloa,DLNR-DivisionofAquaticResourcesGlennSakamoto,Hawai‘iDepartmentofAgricultureGlennShishido,DepartmentofLandandNaturalResources

MoMISC StaffLoriBuchanan,FieldandOutreachCoordinator KamalaniPali,InvasiveSpeciesFieldCrewandDataAssistantJustinAvelino,InvasiveSpeciesFieldCrewMISC StaffTeyaPenniman,ManagerElizabethAnderson,ProgramSpecialistAdamRadford,OperationsManagerBrookeMahnken,OperationsandGISSpecialistLissaFoxStrohecker,OutreachandEducationSpecialistAbeVandenberg,Education/VertebrateFieldCrewStephanieMiller,Data/PlantFieldCrewCarlMartin,OperationsSupportShannonWianecki,EditorandCurriculumWriter

Early Detection SpecialistsForestStarr KimStarr

Vertebrate Field CrewDarrellAquino,TeamLeader AjaEarlyKonaBall DennisGreen

Plant Field CrewMikeAde,Supervisor MattPrattJaredBarros AbelardoRojasUmanaStephanieKowalski ChristianVisoria

Miconia Field CrewImiNelson,TeamLeader ChadSmithJoeBrower Darryl"Kanamu"Tau‘aFloydHelekahi TanyaVasquezElroyKrause

MISC & MoMISC Committee & Staff

Mahalotoour2011SupportersAgServicesofMauiAlexander&BaldwinFoundationHawai‘iCommunityFoundationMilagrosRestaurant

JanetBalBobbieBeckerBobFlintCestmuirHerstus&MaryCatherineMcGinley

RobiePriceTerry&CynthiaQuisenberryErnest&AleneRezents

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that treatments might threaten theirfarm’s organic status—a hard wondesignation where the land mustbe chemical-free for at least twoyears. They chose to move forwardanyway,andcooperate fullywith theeradicationplan.

“We didn’t want to jeopardizeanyone else,” says Chang. “We knewthat the treatment would be moreeffectiveifwewerereallyontaskintheverybeginning.”

Onceamonthforayear,thoselivingatthefarmwererequiredtoleavethepropertyfortwenty-fourhoursduringtreatment.Threedifferentinsecticideswere used to treat cropping areas,non-cropareas,andthickvegetation.

“I don’t know what it would have

costforustotreatthefarm,”saysChang.“Idon’tknowifwewouldhavebeeninapositiontoactuallypayforit.”

The state covered the control work,butthefarmincurredthecostofmotelroomsandlostrevenue.Chang’splantswere infested, so she couldn’t sellproducts fromthefarm.Theprogramsfor kids suffered as well; some visitshadtobedelayedduetothetreatmentschedule. And since wearing slipperswas too risky amidst stinging swarms,Changpurchasedbootsforthekids.

The sacrifices paid off. TreatmentsconcludedinSeptember2010;fireantshaven’tbeenfoundsince.Thepropertywill be monitored periodically foranothertwoyears.Fornow,Mauiislittlefireant-free.

Changsaystheexperiencesharpenedherawarenessofinvasivespeciesissues

and the importance of education andearly detection. “We decided to dowhatever we could to help preventthe little fire ant from establishing onMaui,” saysChang.“I really trustalloftheagenciesthatworkedwithus.“Theysupported us with a lot of compassionand also education. We gave them agreenlight.”

"Farm"continued from page 3

Cas Vanderwoude and Christina Chang at Lokelani ‘Ohana farm.

Photo by Masako Cordray

Working to protect Maui Nui from invasive species that threaten our environment, livelihoods, and quality of life.

Printed on recycled paper.

Castle & Cooke Resorts, LLCHaleakalā National ParkHawai‘i Department of AgricultureHawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

Hawai‘i Department of Transportation-Moloka‘i Airport

Hawai‘i Invasive Species CouncilKalaupapa National Historical ParkMaui County Department of Water SupplyMaui County Office of Economic DevelopmentMonsantoMoloka‘i Land TrustMycogenPacific Islands Exotic Plant Management Team Pu‘u O Hoku RanchThe Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i

Tri-Isle Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc.

University of Hawai‘i - College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources

University of Hawai‘i - Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit

Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘i

US Fish and Wildlife Service

USDA Forest Service

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

USDA Plant Pest QuarantineUSDA Plant Materials Center

US Geological Survey - Biological Resources Division

Mahalo to the MISC and MoMISC Partners

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Makawao,Hawai‘i96768