The state’s efforts to combat little fire ants produced positive early results this week when no evidence of the stinging insects was found in previously infested areas of Waimanalo and Mililani Mauka. 

Native the South and Central America, little fire ants (wasmania auropunctata) were first detected in Hawaii in 1999, when an infested area was discovered in Puna. The ants have since spread to Oahu and Maui. 

The ants, whose stings can blind animals and cause severe pain in humans, were detected in Waimanalo in January and April. They were first spotted in Mililani Mauka in June 2014. 

Treatments developed by the Hawaii Ant Lab were applied in both locations and surveys conducted by the state Department of Agriculture and the Department of Land and Natural Resources on Thursday and Friday found no evidence of the creatures. 

Periodic surveys will continue over the next three years. 

The encouraging news came just as Gov. David Ige proclaimed September as Stop the Ant Month in Hawaii. The governor encouraged homeowners and landowners to conduct annual surveys on their properties to prevent the further spread of the ants.