Hawaii is having a pretty big problem. The population of the little fire ants jumped significantly. Species that are categorized as pests or invasive are even now aggressively attacking humans so that it makes residents afraid.
Tiny fire ants were detected in Hawaii for the first time in 1999. Since then, their numbers have doubled and recently, millions of tiny fire ants were found in the vast grounds of Wailua River State Park.
Besides threatening the agricultural industry, the fire ants make people afraid. "They changed the way of life for Hawaiians. You used to be able to hike and go to the beach in peace. Now these fire ants can attack and sting," said Heather Forrester, an expert from the Hawaii Ant Lab.
"The impact of the sting can be different for each person. In areas with a lot of population, these little fire ants can invade people's homes. We have many reports of them stinging people who are sleeping in their beds," he added.
The Kauai Invasive Species Committee (KISC) has put out a special announcement to warn residents of the dangers of these ants, including assistance to deter them from entering homes.
The sting is quite painful and can take weeks to heal. These tiny fire ants are native to South and Central America. How they came to Hawaii is not known, possibly by ship.
Related parties are also trying to eradicate it, but it takes a high cost. In addition, these small fire ants reproduce very quickly and make lots of nests under the ground or in trees. However, the authorities are still confident that they can ward off the attack.