I Etdot ginen Lågu, An ant from the outside.

Brown tree snakes, rhinoceros beetles, and little fire ants... OH MY!
Little ants can cause big problems on this little island.

The little fire ant is the newest and one of the many, 32 to be exact, invasive species on island. 

Introduced in 2011, the little fire was first discovered in a green waste facility in Yigo in the northernmost village and has spread to Guam's southernmost village of Merizo. 

Native to South America, the little fire ant has been introduced to the Galápagos, Florida, the big island of Hawaiʻi in the Hawaiian Islands, and New Caledonia. 

As stated in the video, Guam has been through a lot of changes ecologically especially with significant loss of birds.

If the island community wants birds back in the forests, the brown tree snake and fire ants are the two invasive species the community must worry about; because, both the brown tree snakes and little fire ants eat birds.

Aside from affecting Guam ecologically, the little fire ant can hurt Guam economically if the species does spread to tourist areas. 

Aside from affecting tourism, the little fire ant can affect a Guamanian's everyday lifestyle. And by viewing the video, you can see that the take over of the fire ants is just beginning, with the Barrigada residents' backyards infested with little fire ants and the coconut rhinoceros beetles.

Let us hope that the Guam Visitor's Bureau places funding in their budget for the control of these invasive species on this island already going through so much.

Yanngen un nisita mås enfatmasion pat yanggen un li'e' i fire ant pat ortro na klåsen gå'ga gi iya Guahån ågang (671) 475-PEST.

For more information or if you find fire ants or any species you can't identify, call (671) 475-PEST.

Pacific News Center's Report on the Little Fire Ant

Prutehi i tano' Guåhan!