Oahu residents will now be able to get their properties treated for little fire ant infestations thanks to a $1.1 million statewide contract. LFA-control programs on the neighbor islands will be announced in the near future.

What You Need To Know

  • The $1.1 million in funding is expected to be available to treat roughly 580 residential properties or until funds have been exhausted

  • The free treatment program is available only for Oahu residential properties; commercial properties are not eligible

  • Anyone purchasing or bringing home new plants should check them for LFAs before doing so to prevent the spread of LFAs in the home and yard

  • LFA test kits are available through the PQB by contacting hdoa.pglfa@hawaii.gov

The Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Branch has contracted with pest control companies to treat properties under the guidance of PQB inspectors. The funding is expected to be available to treat roughly 580 residential properties or until funds have been exhausted.

“Thanks to significant funding to combat invasive species provided by the Hawaii State Legislature and Governor Josh Green, M.D., the department is now able to conduct a large-scale LFA treatment program for homeowners on Oahu by utilizing the experience and expertise of private pest control companies,” said Hawaii Board of Agriculture Chair Sharon Hurd in a news release. “While we are starting this treatment program on Oahu, treatment programs are also being developed for infestations on Maui, Kauai and Hawaii Island.”

In order to qualify for the free treatment, property owners will be required to complete the following:

• Provide a name, address, phone number and email to the PQB via hdoa.pglfa@hawaii.gov or call 808-832-0566. Renters will need the permission of the landowner to participate in the program.

• PQB will mail an LFA detection kit to the owner, which property owners will need to send back to PQB upon completion to confirm the presence of LFAs.

• If LFAs are confirmed, property owners will need to allow PQB inspectors to survey the property to determine the extent of the infestation so a treatment program can be developed for that property and any affected adjacent properties. All properties must consent to treatment if multiple properties are infested.

• Under the guidance of PQB, the contractor will carry out eight applications of granular ant baits every six weeks, including an application of a product that stops the growth and development of LFAs.

• PQB inspectors will survey selected properties during the treatment to ensure they are working and will continue surveying properties after the treatment is completed.

The pest control company contracted by the state is certified and has been specifically trained by the Hawaii Ant Lab for LFA treatment. The HDOA Plant Quarantine and Pesticides Branches will supervise the contractor.

The free treatment program is available only for Oahu residential properties. Commercial properties are not eligible.

Anyone purchasing or bringing home new plants should check them for LFAs to prevent the spread of LFAs in the home and yard. LFA test kits are available through the PQB by contacting hdoa.pglfa@hawaii.gov.

LFAs, originally from South America, are considered among the world’s worst invasive species. They are tiny, measuring 1/16th of an inch long and are pale in color. Unlike the already established tropical fire ant, which are larger and move more quickly, LFAs move slowly. The extremely painful sting of an LFA results in red welts and may cause blindness in pets. They build large colonies on the ground, in trees and other vegetation, buildings and homes, and can completely overrun a property.