Officials have issued a warning over an infestation of fire ants. They have further issued a warning to the residents of Hawaii of "ant rain." The discovery of millions of fire ants in Kauai, Hawaii, marks the island's most extensive infestation since the invasive species was first detected there in 1999, SFGATE reported.
The outlet said that millions of tiny fire ants were discovered at the Wailua River State Park, located in eastern Kauai about six miles north of Lihue.
It further mentioned that this could pose a risk to pets, the agricultural sector, locals, and visitors to Hawaii's fourth-largest island.
Hawaiian government officials have issued a warning that the ants are "falling from the sky" and will "rain down on people and sting them" as a result of their poor grasp.
Heather Forester, who works for Hawaii Ant Lab told SFGATE, "They're changing the way of life for our residents here in Hawaii. You used to be able to go out hiking and go to the beach. They can rain down on people and sting them."
She also added, "We have a lot of reports of them stinging people while they sleep in their beds."
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The Department of Land and Natural Resources of Hawaii government in a notice published on October 3. It read, "LFA (Little Fire Ant) is considered among the world's worst invasive species. LFA are tiny, measuring 1/16th inch long, and pale orange in color. They move slowly, unlike the tropical fire ant, which is established in Hawaii and is much larger."
They added that the insect can produce painful stings and "large red welts" and may cause blindness in pets. "They can build up very large colonies on the ground, in trees and other vegetation, and inside buildings and homes and completely overrun a property," it continued.
