This document provides guidance on pesticide treatments for controlling Little Fire Ants (LFA) and Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles (CRB), including types, pros and cons, and common active ingredients.
- Little Fire Ant treatments: Broadcast baits are spread over wide areas and target entire colonies but may miss ants in tall vegetation. Gel baits can be applied directly to foliage, improving contact with colonies but may clog equipment. Chemical barriers repel or kill ants on contact but do not eliminate queens, allowing colonies to persist. These methods should not be used simultaneously. Common active ingredients include hydramethylnon, methoprene, spinosad, indoxacarb, bifenthrin, and gamma-cyhalothrin.
- Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle treatments: Trunk injections use systemic insecticides for whole-tree protection with long residual effects but require specialized equipment and flower trimming to protect pollinators. Soil drench treatments also provide systemic protection with simpler application but pose higher water contamination risks and have application limits. Crown/foliar sprays act quickly and are suitable for palms showing recent infestation but have short residual effects and higher drift risk. Active ingredients include imidacloprid, acephate, pyrethrins, and pyrethroids.
- Usage considerations: For both pests, certain treatments have restrictions such as not eating fruit post-application and trimming flowers to protect pollinators. Some pesticides require special permits or are not available in all regions. Proper label directions should always be followed, and the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity does not endorse or disapprove listed products.
Disclaimer:
The inclusion of a product on this list is NOT an endorsement by the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB). Likewise, the exclusion of a product from this list is NOT a sign of disapproval by DAB. Products listed are examples for educational purposes only. DAB makes no claim as to the effectiveness or safety of any products listed. Always follow label directions.
Pesticide Treatments for Little Fire Ants (LFA)
| Broadcast Bait | Gel Bait | Barrier | |
| Overview | Bait meant to be dispersed over a widespread horizontal area. Should not be used simultaneously with chemical barriers. | Bait meant to be applied to vegetation and foliage. Should not be used simultaneously with chemical barriers. | Chemical barrier meant to kill or repel ants that contact it. Should not be used simultaneously with baits. |
| Pros | Targets entire colony. Relatively simple application. | Targets entire colony. Can apply directly to vegetation, increasing chance of contacting LFA colonies. | Prevents ants from entering protected areas. Relatively simple application. |
| Cons | Does not specifically target LFA colonies which commonly form in tall vegetation. | Thick gel consistency can clog application equipment. | Does not target the queen; the colony may continue to reproduce. |
| Common Active Ingredient(s) and Examples* *Products include but are not limited to: | Hydramethylnon AMDRO Fire Ant Killer for Mounds ProBait Formulation for Professionals Maxforce Complete Brand Granular Insect Bait Spinosad Antixx Fire Ant Bait Metaflumizone Siesta Insecticide Fire Ant Bait Methoprene | Hydramethylnon Methoprene Tango Indoxacarb Advion | Bifenthrin Talstar PL Granular Insecticide Bifen IT Indoxacarb Gamma-Cyhalothrin Spectracide Bug Stop Home Barrier |
Pesticide Treatments for Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB)
| Trunk Injections | Soil Drench | Crown/Foliar Spray | |
| Overview | Systemic insecticide protects entire tree via injection. | Systemic insecticide protects entire tree via root uptake. | Direct application of insecticide to crown. |
| Pros | Low probability of drift. Ideal for large scale operations. Long residual effect. | Ideal for young palms that may be damaged by trunk injections. Relatively fast and simple. Long residual effect. | Ideal for palms with recent signs of infestation. Immediate effect. Relatively fast and simple. |
| Cons | Must trim off flowers to prevent effects on pollinators. Cannot eat fruit. Delayed effect due to translocation. Requires specialized equipment. | Must trim off flowers to prevent effects on pollinators. Cannot eat fruit. Delayed effect due to translocation. Higher risk of water contamination. Maximum application rate restrictions may limit large scale operations. | Requires access to crown (i.e. drone, access lift, etc.). Higher risk of drift due to height of application. Short residual effect. |
| Common Active Ingredient(s) and Examples* *Products include but are not limited to: | Imidacloprid IMA-jet Merit 75 WSP Acephate ACE-jet | Imidacloprid Merit 75 WSP | Pyrethrins/pyrethroids EVERGREEN Pyrethrum Concentrate Mustang Maxx* Demon Max** Multimodal OneGuard |
*Restricted use pesticide
**Section 18 Emergency Exemption required on ornamental palm crowns; not available on Oahu
