Little Fire Ant Eradications on Maui Island

The invasive little fire ant poses a severe threat to Maui’s environment, agriculture, and quality of life, delivering painful stings to people, pets, and wildlife. This project will expand Maui’s control capacity through two field crews—one based in East Maui and one in Hāmakuapoko—to conduct surveys, treatments, and outreach at infested and high-risk sites such as nurseries, resorts, and garden centers. Funding will also support a full-time outreach specialist, enhancement of the detector dog program for early detection, and improvement to an existing ant colony lab for the detector dog. Together, these investments will prevent further spread, protect biodiversity, and safeguard the visitor experience and community well-being.