SB 2474 Summary

• Authorizes the Department of Agriculture to identify best practices for treating little fire ants in conjunction with the Hawaii Ant Lab, which uses insect growth regulators followed by barrier treatments to eliminate colonies.

• Requires the Department of Agriculture to post best practices for little fire ant treatment on its website for public access.

• Allows the Pest Control Board to revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew pest control operator licenses for violations of any best practice identified by the Department of Agriculture.

• Addresses the problem of pest control operators using ineffective methods that fail to eradicate little fire ant infestations, allowing populations to spread to neighboring properties and persist as permanent infestations.