Fire Ants
Ecologically devastating. That’s what comes to mind as I learn about the Little Red Fire Ant. It seems that to the environmental don’t have fire ants at the treehouse and you can help protect our forest from Little Red Fire ants (LFAs). Invasive species of plants and animals are continually altering our environments in Hawaii and these tiny ants are bad news.
We are Fire Ant-free and hope you can help us keep it that way. Fire Ant experts have demonstrated the damage being done to our environment. Aside from painful interactions for humans, pets are being attacked. It’s not uncommon to go visit somewhere and see pets going blind. Native birds in our carefree environment are losing their nests and eggs. Another negative side effect is the amount of poison being used to control fire ants. This can also expose children to endocrine disrupters in chemical insecticides. We seek your help to avoid the devastation. Please be mindful of the places you visit and what your transport around the island.
If you get bitten, please let us know. We can help you identify and remove fire ants from your clothing and gear. Please check anything that you take into an area known to have fire ants. We want to stop them before they arrive in the forest.
Check out: https://stoptheant.org/lfa-on-hawaii-island/ Here’s a little red fire ants (FAQ).
Another Major Threat is Rapid Ohia Death.
This tree fungus is being spread between forests at an alarming rate. Our neighborhood and surrounding forest preserves are some of the largest stands of Native Ohia forests in the state. The treehouse is in the second largest Native Ohia forest and home to much of our district’s water supply. So if you’re out hiking in other Native Ohia forests, we need you to clean your hiking boots, shoes and anything that comes into contact with a another area of Ohia forest.
If you have been hiking in another Ohia forest, we will help you wash your gear. We currently don’t have a cleaning station like you’ll find in state and national parks.
