Watch Out! Fire Ants Are Invading Hawaii & Stinging People in Their Sleep, Officials Say
Tiny fire ants in Hawaii 
Mary ManleyThe invasive species, which the government is saying will “rain” down on residents and tourists, first affected the tropical state in 1999. The infestation in Hawaii’s fourth-largest island poses a risk to pets, agriculture, and the health of residents. Little fire ants are “raining down” on people in Kauai, Hawaii, where millions of the insects were discovered on a private property, says the Kauai Invasive Species Committee, which is tasked with containing the spread. The ants’ sting causes welts that swell, burn and itch, and can last for weeks. The ants can also cause pets to go blind.The committee is launching a media campaign to inform residents of the ants, and are alerting residents of free-at-home test kits to detect their presence. The ants are only 1.5 millimeters in length (half the size of a sesame seed) and do not build mounded dirt nests but instead nest in trees, potted plants, irrigation lines, and even electrical boxes, or the like.The infestations are “often discovered when ants fall on people from above,” government officials say.”They’re changing the way of life for our residents here in Hawaii,” said Heather Forester, who works for Hawaii Ant Lab. “You used to be able to go out hiking and go to the beach. They can rain down on people and sting them.”Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu, have also experienced varying degrees of infestation, added Forester, who says the Hawaii Ant Lab has been getting a “lot of reports” of ants stinging people while they sleep in their beds.The ants, which originated on a private property, had spread over a cliffside into a valley near the Wailua River, said Haylin Chock, the committee’s general outreach specialist. If the infestation has reached the water, the insects will be able to float down and create multiple colonies.Officials are urging residents to contact them if they find the fire ants on any island, and to survey their property and to test materials, mulch, plants, agricultural products, and construction materials.“Our team is really good at what they do,” said Chock. “I’m going to say that we’re hopeful that it hasn’t spread that far. I’m confident that we can keep it contained.”
