Will Maui Be Infested With Another Invasive Species?

There is trouble on the Big Island, and I dearly hope it doesn't spread to Maui. In the early 90s, in a development called Hawaiian Paradise Park on the east side of the Big Island, notice was taken of a nasty little golden colored ant that really hurt when one was bitten by it. The ant is only 1/16th of an inch long but its sting packs an incredible wallop. First you get large raised red welts which ache and burn painfully. Then they begin to itch unbearably. And all this lasts for two weeks or more. That's just from the bite of ONE little tiny ant that you can barely see. Just suppose you are standing under a tree from which you are trying to harvest a few mangoes and the ants up in the tree lose their grip and begin to rain down on you, maybe getting inside your clothing. You are in for a few weeks of AGONY!

Where did these nasty little beasts come from? Their scientific name is wasmannia auropunctata and they originate in the tropical regions of the New World. It is thought that they arrived on the Big Island in a shipment of hot house plants. It seems very weird that businesses in the State of Hawaii, where just about everything grows, must import house plants from elsewhere. But that is reality. Back in the days of Mom and Pop businesses here, we didn't have as many invasive species because they bought their inventory from other local businesses. Then national chains like Wal-mart and Home Depot and Lowes gained a foothold in Hawaii. They don't fool around with nickle and dime stuff. If they can't get massive amounts of goods in Hawaii to resell, they import from any area that has massive amounts available. That's how we got the lovely kokee tree frog from Puerto Rico that has spread all over the Big Island. When they first arrived, one of our nightly diversions was to stand outside the plant department at the local Walmart and listen to the kokee tree frogs chirping and marvel at how something so small could make such a loud noise. They are only the size of a nickle but it's hard to sleep when they are in full cry, which they always are as soon as the sun goes down. Eradication methods were tried but to no avail. Tree frogs have no natural predators here, so they have had a merry old time enjoying a population explosion.

The little fire ant, which is the appellation (among other names!) that non-scientific folks use to refer to this nasty little beast, has now been discovered on the Kona, or west, side of the Big Island. I feel very sorry for the folks on the Big Island, but I really hope the little fire ant stays there and doesn't seek further green pastures on Maui.

Today On Maui...

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is building a website where you'll be able to check on the availability of reservations for campgrounds and lodging. You won't have to call them up any more. You know what a hassle that is! When it's up and running...some time in March...you'll also be able to make reservations with a credit card over the phone. No more in-person visits. That is also a hassle... I'll let you know when it's operational and give you the URL. Stay tuned...