Note that these ants may be present anywhere on Oʻahu, and the status report is only for infestations that were discovered and reported. We need your help to find them before colonies grow too large to eradicate. Oʻahu has the most residents of all the islands, which means that we have a greater chance of catching little fire ants before they become established. Collect ants from your property and send them for identification at least once a year and find them before they find you…submit your ant samples to the the Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee at 743 Ulukahiki St., Kailua, HI 96734. OR, request a free ant collection kit by clicking the link below.
Request a FREE Ant Collection Kit with a pre-addressed return envelope here.
Regional Maps (Updated January 2026)
FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT OʻAHU LFA SITES, VISIT OISC LFA COMMUNITY PAGE.
Active Sites: Active sites are those that are undergoing surveys to determine their size and/or are being treated for eradication.
Monitoring Sites: These sites have undergone the treatment cycle and no LFA were detected once treatment was completed. Monitoring surveys continue for at least 3 years to ensure successful eradication
Eradicated Sites: These sites have undergone successful treatment and have been ant-free for at least three years.
LFA TREATMENT FOR ERADICATION: It may be helpful to understand that it takes at least 4 years to be complete an eradication treatment for little fire ants. We aren’t trying to just control ants and reduce their numbers; eradication means completely removing them from a site. The eradication process includes 8 treatments over the course of a year, followed by years of regular monitoring to ensure no ant colonies persist. This method was developed by the Hawai’i Ant Lab (HAL), implemented by the Hawai’i Department of Agriculture (HDOA), and has proven successful in various sites across the state.
Active Treatment Phase: Once LFA are confirmed at a site, a full survey to find the edge of the infestation, followed by treatments of the area (plus treatment of a “buffer zone” around the edge) every 6-8 weeks over one year. At the end of the year, an intensive survey is conducted to detect any remaining little fire ants. If ants are found, that site is treated in the same manner for an additional year. If and when no ants are found, the site moves into the next phase of the eradication program…monitoring.
Monitoring Phase: Once the active treatment phase is completed and no LFA are detected, the site is surveyed quarterly for at least 3 years. Only at the end of this treatment and monitoring regime with no LFA detected can an infestation be considered eradicated.
Eradication: The site has been treated and undergone at least 3 years of monitoring, at which time is completed and no LFA have been detected, the site is considered eradicated. This means all queens and their colonies are gone.
On Oʻahu, you can mail ant samples to OISC for identification:
- O’ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)
- 743 Ulukahiki St.
- Kailua, HI 96734
- 808-266-7994 – Mon-Fri, 7:00am-3:30pm