Kia‘i Moku: Little fire have big impact

them for the aggravation. Kia‘i Moku Increased costs affect farm By Lissa Strohecker profitability. In several areas of the Galapagos, The little plantations lay abandoned fire , because of the little . In Kona, Hawaii’s famed auropunctata, coffee-growing area, and is a pest with elsewhere in the state, most a deservedly coffee is harvested by hand. nasty The spread of little fire ants reputation. into coffee plantations will Alone, this wee ant is neither be a huge blow to an industry aggressive nor impressive, already struggling to address but with her sisters, living the coffee borer , in a network of colonies another invasive pest that stretching from tree-top to threatens the coffee industry ground, she has a dramatic and reduces its yields. impact. Once established, Little fire ants threaten species, preventing spread PHOTOS: Little fire ants infest little fire ants are more than a more than just coffee. In and establishment are coffee (above) and cacao (below) pest, they will put the kibosh and Cameroon, little the most cost-effective and make life painful for workers on agriculture. Little fire ants fire ants infest cocoa farms. approaches. Eradication harvesting the crops. The ants have already shut down fruit In , Florida is possible only if the don’t hold on well to branches and New Caledonia, little and rain down on workers picking orchards in the Hilo area and population is small. Once crops. their establishment threatens fire ants have overrun established, these ants may CAS VANDERWOUDE photos agriculture throughout the citrus groves state. and in some Little fire ants do not areas practically compete between colonies; blanket the rather, they cooperate, ground. blanketing the ground and The ants are trees and outcompeting other causing havoc ant species for food and with other types resources. Other and of agriculture may also be pushed as well. Little out and end up abandoning fire ants cause highly infested areas to the blindness in little fire ant. animals and As little fire ants find homes livestock, stay forever. Little fire ■ Lissa Fox Strohecker is in bananas, citrus, rambutan poultry and pets in infested ants are widespread on the the public relations and and coffee trees, farmers are areas have a much higher eastern side of Hawaii Island education specialist for faced with new difficulties incidence of blindness than and beyond eradication in the Maui Invasive Species in harvesting their crops. do animals without little fire that area, but further spread ants. Committee. “Kia‘i Because the ants don’t hold throughout the state can Moku,”(Guarding the on well to branches, scads of Controling these ants be prevented. Help protect tree-dwelling ants rain down is extremely difficult, agriculture on Maui, as well Island) is prepared by the on workers and become especially for tree crops, as your own quality of life. Maui Invasive Species trapped in their clothing, and because few pesticides are Support efforts to prevent Committee to provide sting in self-defense. registered for use in trees their movement between information on protecting In the Galapagos Islands, and the bait must stick to islands and quarantine and the island from invasive little fire ants have made branches long enough for check any plants or soil you plants and animals that harvesting coffee one of the the ants to find it. Existing bring on to your property for control techniques rely on can threaten the island’s most difficult ways to earn little fire ants. Learn more at environment, economy a living. Coffee harvesters traditional pesticides; an and quality of life. For now command a higher effective organic method has www.lfa-hawaii.org and wage than other agricultural yet to be developed. www.littlefireants.com. more information visit workers to compensate As with any invasive www.mauiisc.org As published in the Maui News, May 13, 2012.