Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC)

11/04/2026

We hope to see you at these upcoming fall events!

🍂Hawaiʻi Island Agrifood Community Event
Honokaʻa Sports Complex
November 5, 2026 from 4-7pm

🍂Free Native Tree Giveaway
Terraformation at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi Authority
November 6, 2026 from 12-5pm

🍂Soil Symposium II
Starseed Ranch
November 7, 2026 from 9am-12pm

🍂Laʻau Love Fest
West Hawaiʻi Civic Center
November 14, 2026 from 9am-2pm

🍂Smoke it up! Hawaiʻi Island
Hale Hālāwai o Puna, Downtown Pahoa
November 14, 2026 from 2-5pm

Click the link below to learn more about our upcoming events!
https://www .biisc.org/events

10/31/2026

Hauʻoli lā heleuī from the BIISC-uits! 🎃👻

10/29/2026

We’re hiring!

We're looking for someone to join our team as a Fiscal and Program Associate. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, support our mission in invasive species mitigation, and share our passion for serving the Big Island community.
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This job requires proficiency with Microsoft Excel and the Google environment, 1-3 years of prior fiscal experience, and the ability to work as part of a dynamic interdisciplinary team. Pay is $4,376/month with paid holidays, sick time, and benefits.⁠ ⁠
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Click the link to apply! https://www.biisc.org/biisc-is-hiring/

10/27/2026

Have you ever heard of the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA)? Native to South America, RIFA (Solenopsis invicta) was accidentally introduced to Alabama in the 1930s and has since spread across the southern United States, Australia, and parts of Asia. A single ant can deliver multiple stings while injecting its venom, causing burning pain and blisters that last for several days. In infested areas, they may cause injury or death to livestock, pets, and wildlife.

RIFA is not present in Hawal'i at this time but could easily arrive on our shores. In fact, there was a scare in 1991 when an infested package from Florida was intercepted at a Honolulu post office. The more eyes that we have out in the community the faster we can detect and respond to new ant species that arrive in Hawaiʻi!

Collect an ant sample from your property and submit it to Hawaiʻi Ant Lab for identification!

stoptheant.org

10/23/2026

Everyone help us give a warm welcome to Kristen, one of our Two-lined Spittlebug field associates!! As a Two-Lined Spittle Bug (TLSB) field technician, her time is split between field days visiting ranches to survey for the TLSB, and office days building reports that help guide the ranches’ management decisions.

If you're wondering why Kristen might look familiar, it's because she previously worked with BIISC for five years on our Albizia and Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death field crew. She took a break from working with BIISC and filled her time doing seasonal conservation work, outdoor guiding, and even rowed with a team of three other women from California to Hawaiʻi!

When she’s not in the field, you can find Kristen rowing any type of boat or hiking with pockets full of Halloween candy. If she could switch careers with no consequences, she would want to be a NASA mission specialist for the Artemis III launch. Mahalo Kristen for all that you do!

10/21/2026

Potted plants are one of the main ways Little Fire Ants (LFA) spread. A new plant from a nursery, garden swap, or from a friend can bring LFA home without you noticing.

Follow these three easy steps to prevent ants in your plants:
1. Quarantine your plant by placing it on a platform, in a bucket of water.
2. Survey for ants! Dip chopsticks in peanut butter and lay them around the plant and on its platform.
3. Wait several days and check the sticks for ants. You can mail in any ants you want to ID to Hawaiʻi Ant Lab (littlefireants.com/services-we-offer).
4. If there are ants, treat the plant before bringing in your home or out-planting. If there are no ants, it's good to go!

Quarantining new plants before adding them to your house or bringing indoors helps stop LFA and other pests and diseases too. Learn more about LFA at StopTheAnt.org.

10/16/2026

Kou, scientifically known as Cordia subcordata, is a native shrub or tree that can grow more than 25 feet in width and height. They have smooth broad leaves, showy orange flowers, and small fleshy fruits that ripen to a brown-black color when dry. The native kou can be commonly mistaken for the introduced geiger tree, Cordia sebestena. Geiger trees instead have sandpaper textured leaves and the flowers are redder with more constricted petals compared to the native kou.

The wood of the Kou tree is very useful. Although soft when freshly cut, it dries hard and produces a beautiful grain. Kou was highly prized in old Hawaiʻi because it is easily carved with non-metal tools and Kou containers don’t leave a resinous flavor on contained foods. Kou was also traditionally used to treat ʻea or thrush in young children.

Looking to add some fall decor in your home? The flowers are perfect for lei-making and the bright orange color add a spooky vibe to any space 🍂🧡

10/14/2026

Hawaiʻi has thousands of native insect species, but not a single native ant.

Today, about 67 introduced ant species live here, and they're attacking native bees, seabirds, and even our pets. Swipe through to learn how these tiny invaders affect the islands.

Want to know what ants are in your yard? Request a free ant test kit at StopTheAnt.org, send in your sample, and get them identified.

10/13/2026

10/09/2026

The oriental flower beetle (Protaetia orientalis, OFB) is a bronze speckled scarab beetle that feeds on pollen, nectar, sap, and overripe or damaged fruit on a variety of different plants. While they are nuisance pests that are not typically welcomed guests in any garden, they do not cause nearly the destruction of other large beetles in Hawai’i, like the Coconut Rhinoceros beetle (CRB).

While you may see the adults flying around, the grubs are more likely to surprise you when you’re working in the soil of your garden. Similar to CRB, adult OFB lay their eggs in soil or compost, where their keiki emerge as grubs and eat decaying organic matter. The grubs of the two beetles appear nearly identical to the untrained eye. In fact, the easiest way to tell them apart is not by appearance, but by watching how they move. OFB grubs will flip over onto their back and wiggle away upside-down. CRB grubs will curl up into a C-shape and inch away on their side.

If you find a suspicious beetle or grub and can’t tell if it's an OFB or a CRB, take a picture and send it to us at [email protected]!