PHOTO COURTESY HAWAII DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
Originally from South America, Little Fire Ant (LFA) is considered among the world’s worst invasive species. LFA are tiny ants, measuring 1/16th inch long, are pale orange in color and move slowly.
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The good news: A Mililani Mauka neighborhood where little fire ants were first found three years ago is now free of the tiny pest that packs a sting nasty enough to cause blindness in animals. That’s the verdict of a multi-agency detection crew, led by the state Department of Agriculture, which recently conducted a final survey of a 6-acre area between Auina and Kopalani streets.
The not-so-good news: The ants (native to South and Central America) first detected in Hawaii in 1999, are still on the loose elsewhere in the islands. More information about eradication efforts and an effective peanut-butter bait is available online, 808ne.ws/fireants2017.
Honolulu’s beloved parks could use more TLC
Honolulu sometimes has a bit of an inferiority complex, comparing ourselves to other cities. So finishing in the top third nationally for its parks could be a point of pride.
Well, not exactly. Honolulu’s score in the annual Trust for Public Land ranking tied it with Henderson, Nev., and Philadelphia at the No. 32 spot out of 100. That finish was elevated particularly by its high percentage of park land. Considering that the score already was buoyed by the amount of forest reserves that were counted but don’t function as parks. We could, and should, do better.