State pest control officials on Thursday were moving to assess and eradicate an infestation of little fire ants in Waimanalo, but not before landing a scolding from a key state lawmaker.
State Sen. Clayton Hee (D, Heeia-Laie-Waialua), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee, and Sen. Clarence Nishihara (D, Waipahu-Pearl City), the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, met with Scott Enright, the director of the state Department of Agriculture, on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
Hee, in remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday, said Enright disclosed that little fire ants had been in Waimanalo for three years. He said that he found it troubling that the department had not notified the public.
Contacted later Wednesday, Enright said he told the senators that a "small" infestation was discovered in the state Agricultural Lots in Waimanalo less than a week ago and, based on a preliminary inspection, it is estimated the infestation is 2 years to 3 years old or older.
The tiny ants with a powerful sting — described as being among the world’s worst invasive species — were discovered in the trees and on the ground in Waimanalo, Enright said.
He said a multiagency team will scour the area Thursday to determine what level of infestation exists. "We will come up with a plan for eradication and implement it quickly," he said.
While Enright said he was confident the infestation will be eradicated, it could take a year or more.
Speaking before the Senate on Wednesday, Hee said there are several nurseries near the infestation, and consumers could spread the pests to other parts of Oahu after purchasing plants at the nurseries.
"The Department of Ag needs to explain to the public how it’s in the public interest to keep little fire ants in Waimanalo a secret," Hee said. "They need to explain how it’s in the public interest to not quarantine every one of those nurseries that are in the immediate vicinity of the fire ant infestation."
Hee said it is "shameful that the Department of Ag would not put the public’s interest first on issues like this."
Enright said his department always puts the public’s interest first but does a lot of work without informing the public.
"We don’t go to the press every time we eradicate a small infestation of invasive species," he said. "If it’s beneficial in any way, we let the public know."
Sen. Laura Thielen (D, Hawaii Kai-Waimanalo-Kailua) said she heard of a large colony of little fire ants on state land left fallow by the Department of Agriculture. She said the nearby nurseries have worked to try to eradicate the pests.
Thielen said the Department of Agriculture had not initially notified the Hawaii Invasive Species Council about the presence of the little fire ants.
While nurseries would welcome assistance from the council, Thielen said, "what they’d like to see is the state agency to step up and take care of its own lands, including the infestations there, and to work with the network that this body has helped establish and fund to make sure that we can bring all the partners to bear to work cooperatively together to eradicate this pest on Oahu."
Deborah Ward, spokeswoman for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, said HISC, as an interagency coordination and policy body, does not conduct on-the-ground surveys and has not been contacted with a request to survey for a little fire ant population in Waimanalo.
The HISC and its support staff are unaware of any detection of little fire ants on Oahu before the discovery of ants in nurseries on Oahu and Maui in late December 2013, she said.
The little fire ant can build up large colonies on the ground, in trees and other vegetation and completely overrun a property. The insect can also move into homes.
Small enough to fit on the head of a pin, the pale orange ant moves slowly, unlike the quick-moving and more widespread tropical fire ant, which is bigger and has a larger head in proportion to its body.
The little fire ant was first detected in Hawaii in the Puna area in 1999. Surveys indicated that it had been on the east side of Hawaii island for several years. Officials say they think the little fire ant has been moving across the state in nursery shipments of hapuu.
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Star-Advertiser reporter Derrick DePledge contributed to this report.
