VIDEO: The Little Fire Ant threat to Kona
Video by David Corrigan
Ant scientist Cas Vanderwoude, the self described arch rival of the Little Fire Ant, gave a detailed presentation Wednesday before the Hawaii County Council Committee on Environmental Management on the dreaded invasives.
The Kona side of Hawaii was alarmed to hear the news that the “LFA” was discovered on their side of the island a few weeks ago. Until now, the stinging ants were only known to exist on the wet, windward side of the Big Island.
The discovery has nearly created a panic amongst the west side agricultural sector, especially amongst the cherished Kona coffee growing industry. The LFAs are known for climbing into tress, and legends from other infested regions describe abandoned farmlands where labor refuses to work, thanks to the pain of ant attacks during harvest.
On Feb 10, 2010, the Kona Farm Bureau organized the first public meeting since the discovery of LFA in Kailua-Kona. The meeting, held at Yano Hall in Captain Cook, was attended by council member Brenda Ford, who later requested that Cas give his LFA presentation at the council committee.
The ant scientist explains the effects the fire ants have on the quality of life for the people pestered in the area surrounding their nests. The ants also “ranch” mealy bugs and scale insects, in a mutual relationship that can spell added trouble for crops. The ants enjoy the sweat excrement of the scale insects, while the bugs get protection from the ants.
The ants have also been linked to blindness in domestic animals in the regions they infest; the ants likely get into the eyes of pets and sting until the cornea clouds over. Vanderwoude says there is no definitive data on the theory, but he believes the common site of blind dogs and cats is a sure sign of connection.
Vanderwoude says an LFA Taskforce for Kona would be a good idea to co-ordinate the response and seek funds. He also says the Hawaii Island Landscape Association will volunteer time and resources through the association.
Vanderwoude says the little fire ants were transported to Kona accidentally by a landscaping business, unaware that the ants had nested in the plants they were using.
Additional images used in this video were taken from Cas Vanderwounde’s power point presentation, available on his LFA website - along with other useful information - at www.wasmannia.com.
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Living in lower Puna, I have had LFA infestation for several YEARS. I have long since abandoned eradication as a possibility, but I have achieved a decent level of control using a mixture of Amdro and “Extinguish”, primarily. Occasionally, I use Ortho “MAX” for general insect control. I hate spreading poison, but these ants have limited my family’s use and enjoyment of our property.
My wife’s gardening inevitably gets her bitten, and keeping the jungle at bay requires a big hat and full cover-up wear.
Every cat and dog we own has cloudy corneas to one degree or another, and we lost one small dog to skin problems which took all his dietary calories to fight. He died skinny, miserable, and partially blind despite major efforts to help him out. While coqui frogs are a nuisance, the LFAs are dangerous, especially to youngsters and animals.
Thank you for this excellent article, David.
I believe, first experienced getting bit about 2 1/2 years ago. My two smaller dogs both got cataract-type whitening of the eyes at that time, also. At first, it looked as if the whitening was changing and trying to go away. One dog looks as if she has gotten better and sometimes it comes back in her. Her brother dog (both only about 4 yrs old) has whitening quite bad and has to be encouraged to come up and down the stairs at night, as he can’t see well (he used to follow me in the bush, but takes full precaution about where he will moan and play, now. I did, also, notice that they were not eating as much as I thought they should; silly me I didn’t recognize that they were, periodically, getting ants in their food, so watch out for that.
I spread Amdro around about every fou months, or whenever I see the ants appear again. I believe the weather patterns affect how many and when the ants are around, also, but wish I kept a calendar of events on this situation. It is dry now and yesterday was the first time I took a chance and pruned an orchid tree without being fully clothed–I did not get bit. I have a stinky, smelly daisy bush that accidentally spread (I don’t think they like it–never found any on or around it).
The first ten (about) coqui I heard, I went out and tried spreading lime around (not effective). The best way is go outside with a headlamp on, sometime have to “cup” ears with hands to zone into exact spot to see the coqui, put one hand under the leaf and one over and clasped your hands together slowing, then quickly grasp with two hands in that position. “Hold on tight” (grab by a leg), hit them over the head with a lava rock..no more running into the house to freeze them or flush. I have no coqui, but when stragglers come in off someone’s vehicle, I get it immediately. I can hear frogs on other acerages, but none close to mine. I killed probably about 150, at least, as they come in. “I love the quiet”!