The state Senate Committee on Ways and Means voted in favor of a bill Thursday to provide $306,237 to the Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation to combat the little fire ant.
The state Senate Committee on Ways and Means voted in favor of a bill Thursday to provide $306,237 to the Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation to combat the little fire ant.
The ant arrived on the Big Island about 15 years ago and its bite can cause painful welts and itching. It has since spread to Maui, Oahu and Kauai.
Parks and Recreation would use the funds to address the ants’ spread within county parks, test pesticides for controlling and eradicating the invasive species and develop strategies other counties can use.
The ant has been seen at the Keaau Senior Center, Richarson Ocean Park, Onekahakaha Park and Leleiwi Beach Park, according to Parks and Recreation and the Hawaii Ant Lab.