October is Stop the Ant Month! (Photo: Little Fire Ants (LFA) infestation under a nursery weed mat. Credit: Matt Sandrich/Hawaii Ant Lab) Native to South America, Little Fire Ants (LFA; Wasmannia auropunctata) were first detected in the Puna District of Hawai‘i Island in 1999. Since then, these tiny ants have been moved around hidden in plants, produce, and even things like vehicles and equipment from infested areas. They continue to be intercepted in interisland cargo by agriculture inspectors, and crews continue to find and work to eradicate any new infestations on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, and in Maui County. On Hawai‘i Island, LFA are established in many urban and non-urban areas, so communities are learning how to prevent, detect, and control the ant populations on their property and in their neighborhoods. Little fire ant queens remain in nests that are protected and fed by workers. These nests can be on the ground, in leaf litter, in plants, and even up in trees and in our homes. LFA may be tiny, but their stings are painful... ...
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