Hawaii Ant Lab

Want to work in insect research?

The Hawaii Ant Lab is currently hiring for a temporary 5-month research position in Hilo!

Main Duties include:

- Research Assistance: Support staff with preparing, cleaning up, and executing laboratory and field experiments.
- Data Collection: Maintain careful documentation of experimental procedures, trial observations, and environmental variables.
- Insect Rearing: Assist staff with maintaining laboratory ant and cricket colonies.

Required & Desired Experience:

- HS diploma or higher.
- 1+ year(s) experience in a biology, conservation, or agriculture-related field preferred.
- Able to work 20-40 h/wk (flexible on a case-by-case basis).
- Interested in entomology, conservation, and/or agriculture pest management.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Pay: $19.50/hr plus medical and dental insurance

If interested, please submit your cover letter, resume, and 3 references to Kalena Shiroma at [email protected]. Position will be open till filled.

Fed up with Little Fire Ants (LFA) on your property?

Join us for our next FREE LFA Management Clinic on Thursday, July 30th from 8:30-10:30 AM, held on Zoom.

What you will learn:

- How to identify LFA
- How to test your property for LFA
- Proven treatment strategies
- How to mix up and apply gel bait
- How to prevent reinfestation and spread
- Common mistakes that reduce treatment success

Can’t make it? Don’t worry! We hold these virtual meetings once a month.

Visit our website to register: www.littlefireants.com/take-a-class

Want to make a difference in communities across Oʻahu? Interested in protecting Hawaiʻi from harmful invasive ants? Do you have a strong drive to learn new skills such as GIS, invasive species control and public relations that will further your career in conservation? Apply to become a full-time Field Technician with the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab!

As a Field Technician, your role will be to conduct field surveys for invasive ants, identify ant specimens, and assist with outreach efforts advising residents on preventing and controlling little fire ants. Applicants should have excellent communication skills, be organized, and be able to work independently or as part of a team.

Join our dedicated team and make a real impact helping protect Oʻahuʻs homes, farms, beaches, and forests from these stinging invaders.

Apply today! Go to ww.rcuh.com, click on "Job Postings," and search for job posting # 226323. The application closing date is 06/08/2026.

Happy Friday! 🐜

Hehe... Not Hehe... LFA point of view🐜

LFA workers might admire their queens, however queens make LFA colonies much harder to control.

Unlike most ant species, LFA colonies have multiple queens, up to 16 per individual colony. If one queen dies, the other queens keep the colony alive. LFA queens don’t rely on flight; instead, they mainly spread by “budding”. A queen leaves with a few workers, starts a new nest nearby, and stays connected to the original colony, forming massive super-colonies covering large areas. These factors make LFA a successful invader and difficult to control.
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