Little fire ants somehow made it to Maui from South America, but they may go no farther.

The insects measure no longer than 1/16th of an inch. But they are considered among the world’s worst invasive species, and can produce painful stings and large red welts in humans, and blindness in pets.
Little fire ants also can build large colonies on the ground, or in bushes or trees, and can eventually overrun a property.
Last October, they were found infesting a half-acre portion of a farm in Waihee.
State agriculture officials used an experimental ant bait developed by a state scientist. They said yesterday that after four treatments, the little fire ants had disappeared.
The treatments will continue for eight more months.