Prevention of new ant invasions

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Prevention of ant incursions is the most cost-effective--and often ONLY effective--means to avoid permanent, unmitigable effects from ant invasions.

Although the rate of establishment of new ant species in Hawaii appears to have slowed in recent decades, we cannot predict with certainty that the future colonization pattern will follow the same trend. The fact that Hawaii has already been invaded by many damaging ant species does not negate the need to keep out others. Improved border protection and an established infrastructure for rapid response are essential if we hope to minimize the losses to our state's native biodiversity and economy that could result from such unwanted newcomers.

As a result of concern about the possible accidental introduction of red imported fire ants to Hawaii, in April of 2002 the USDA changed quarantine action policy

for ants intercepted from commodities destined to the State of Hawaii. These changes require incoming cargo inspectors to routinely quarantine any ants not recognized as "established" in the State of Hawaii.

Additional resources:

Nurseries and Plant Growers: Help Control the Spread of the Imported Fire Ant
APHIS outlines measures to be taken by nursery and plant-growing industries to prevent the accidental transportation of red imported fire ants (RIFA) (Solenopsis invicta).
Red imported fire ant quarantine map (U.S.)
USDA/APHIS provides a map of red imported fire ant (RIFA) (Solenopsis invicta) quarantine areas in the U.S., from which there are restrictions placed on regulated articles being moved through or to non-quarantine areas.

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The Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) is currently funded by grants from the Hau'oli Mau Loa Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service with support from PCSU (UH Manoa). Historically, HEAR has also received funding and/or support from the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), PIERC (USGS), the USFWS, HCSU (UH Hilo), and HALE (NPS).

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Some of the text on this page is based on The ecology, policy, and management of ants in Hawaii

(Krushelnycky, Loope, and Reimer, 2005). This page was created on 04 July 2007 by PT & LF, and was last updated on 04 July 2007 by PT.