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The bold little fire ant crawled onto my eyeglasses on the nightstand, attracted by sweat-related protein. New to life in Hilo, I awoke to put the glasses on without checking.

The LFA bit under my right eye. Pain and swelling lasted a week.

I adapted by inspecting toiletries before touching. I washed pans used for protein outside, avoiding the kitchen sink.

I put protein related trash in Ziploc bags, and took out trash religiously. I picked avocados using a long pole, and rolled the fruit across the ground like a bowling ball to knock ants off. I learned to distinguish between four ant species while looking at floors and furniture.

I share this story to demonstrate LFA’s relentless drive to invade your personal space, bathroom, glasses, your face, your kids.

I give credit to our Hawaii Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection and the Committee on Agriculture and Environment for calling an invasive species hearing on Nov. 1. Hawaii Department of Agriculture Chair Sharon Hurd requested for more funds to hire inspector staff for nurseries, along with rule changes that would allow the temporary stoppage of infested nurseries from moving plants and soil.

I propose community-driven action, where we coordinate with our neighbors, because LFA is here and spreading.

While living in Hilo, our neighbors communicated about bite incidents and ant trail locations. We coordinate dates to drop LFA granular poison bait, so that children, pets and our home activities could adjust to the applications. We did not receive government funds, but we pooled together for planning and poison placement.

In Hilo, we needed an affordable supply of widely available LFA poison bait granules. I propose Oahu’s hardware, nursery and plant stores support the LFA campaign like Hilo did by placing little fire ant educational displays at their entrances.

A couple Hilo stores placed television playing videos about LFA behavior, what we could do in our yards to clean up leaf litter, how to self-inspect our tree lines, kitchens and bedrooms, and chemical treatment recommendations. Store staff were usually knowledgeable about poison bait and application. Many had been bit themselves.

LFA poison baits tend to come as small solid granules, that smell like peanut butter. The granules can be spread around the yard, but I put granules in containers with small opening to keep out pets and rodents attracted to the peanut smell.

Is LFA bait toxic to humans and pets? Different brands have a range active ingredients with varying toxicity levels. The granules are small because a small amount is effective for ants. I used dispensers with tight lids and small openings to keep humans and pets out.

Should communities apply LFA bait on public lands, forests and valleys if the HDOA is understaffed? Oahu is not yet lost to LFA like parts of Hawaii Island.

Can we wait for HDOA?

As a former agriculture crop insurance agent, I am concerned that our farms will not be able to get labor to work in infested fields and orchards. While “one little ant bite” might seem insignificant, many stings to the body could make agriculture work difficult.

If farmers can’t work, avocados and mangoes could rot. Crop insurance will not cover labor related crop losses, and the ant does not damage the crop. Workers stung while harvesting could be a workers compensation claim if they seek medical treatment, or claim temporary disability for an eye sting.

Since LFA threatens our ability to feed our own community, I hope our community will take up its own activism.

For more information on how to combat little fire ants, click here — .