Little Fire Ant Program
The BIISC LFA community support program helps community members work together to address the impacts of little fire ants (LFA) on our island. We provide the information and guidance residents need to effectively control LFA in their neighborhoods. For large community groups, a Community Information Session (CIS). Small groups (hui) of organized neighbors may qualify for a Hand-on Demonstration. Both are grant-funded and offered to communities free of charge.
LFA Community Information Session (CIS)
At the CIS, our team will focus on sharing the essential information you need to create a plan for control of LFA on your property. We guide you through the ecology of little fire ants, various products and application methods, and answer your questions about the best approaches for various situations. Learn research-based strategies, tips, and tricks used to get the best results out of treatment, and how to encourage and connect with your neighbors for more effective LFA control. We discuss how neighborhood-scale approach can help lower control costs and has been shown to significantly improve results of treatment.
BIISC outreach staff will help you organize and prepare for a CIS, providing the flyers, online materials, or whatever you need to get the word out to your community. Host a CIS at your neighborhood watch, homeowners’ association, gardening club, church, or any group you can put together that could benefit from learning proper control for LFA.
Neighborhood Hui & Hands-On Demonstrations
Create your own neighborhood treatment hui, and get support! If you and your surrounding neighbors are ready to act, we can provide an LFA Control Application Demonstration in your neighborhood! The demonstration is a hands-on workday where participants will be actively involved in measuring, mixing, and applying ant control treatments. This demonstration workshop is intended for neighborhoods that are willing to commit to working together to continue treatments independently for one year. A minimum number of six (nearby) properties is required to qualify. If you don’t know your neighbors well, hosting an LFA CIS can be a great first step in bringing residents together to develop the plan needed to qualify for the demonstration!
For demonstrations, BIISC will provide all materials, including pesticides, for the first treatment day (neighborhoods must be prepared to assume the cost of subsequent treatments). BIISC will provide a free treatment toolkit, including buckets and mixing tools, and our team will give one-on-one instruction in the proper application of treatment to various landscapes and features. Participants will receive ongoing support and reminders about planned treatments and can qualify to receive a second free treatment day in month six by completing treatments as scheduled.
Contact BIISC today!
If you and your community are ready to do something about the LFA problem, BIISC is ready to provide you with solutions! To bring BIISC to your neighborhood, email us at biisc@hawaii.edu or call us at (808) 933-3340.
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This program is made possible through funding from the Hawai‛i Tourism Authority, the Hawai‛i County Council, the Hawai‛i Invasive Species Council, the Hawaii Dept of Agriculture, and the National Science Foundation, with technical assistance provided by Stanford University.