Coqui frogs are invading Oʻahu shores. Watch and learn what you can do to help stop the invasion and infestation of coqui frogs on beautiful Oʻahu.
Do you think that’s irritating try that multiplied by a hundred, a thousand, or even a million!
This small frog, the coqui, has to the potential to rapidly multiply and permanently alter the serenity of these islands as it already has in some parts.
Lara Reynolds the Outreach Specialist for the Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee says, “Ko-Kee is basically what it sounds like and it can be as loud as a lawnmower essentially just a single frog. So if populations were allowed to establish, if you have a hundred to even thousands of lawnmowers outside your window at night, whether it be at home or even where tourist are staying, it disrupts peoples sleep, and it could even disrupt the amount of tourists that even want to come to Hawaiʻi…Because they can consume so many beneficial insects that could have an effect on food sources for our native bird populations as well as pollinators for our native plants.”
Hawaiʻi has been in an ongoing battle with newly introduced plants and animals. The tiny creature that has established permanent residency on Hawaiʻi island and has began to hop its way to other islands is the coqui frog. Organizations who fight on the frontlines of this battle are asking for help.
Lara says, “The Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee relies quite a bit on the public to be our eyes and ears whether it be for suspicious plants and animals such as the coqui frog. The situation on Oʻahu is that there aren’t any established populations of coqui frogs however they do continue to show up here on the island, um as hitchhikers essentially on shipments from the Big Island.”
As they hop their way to Oʻahu on shipments, the City and County of Honolulu has come up with a smart phone app that supports the Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee in fighting the spread and establishment of these invasive critters.
“Were using a new way of reporting coqui frogs, it’s a smart phone app, that was developed by the city and county of Honolulu called Honolulu 311, and people can now use that to report if they hear coqui frogs. For this Wednesday night September 12th were having a special event called go out and listen night. Were asking people to go out between 7:30 and 8:00 listen for about 15 minutes and to report if their hearing frogs and even if their not hearing frogs for this night, to let us know what their hearing um where ever they happen to be at that hour,” she said.
So lets all join in and prevent the spread and the establishment of the coqui frog on beautiful Oʻahu. If interested in more information regarding this initiative, visit coqui311.blogspot.com.
by Nāhulu Maioho
For more information visit the O’ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)
To report any types of invasive pest call 643-PEST(7378)