Hawaii County will use a $90,000 grant to purchase vehicles and equipment to help control little fire ant infestations. ADVERTISING Hawaii County will use a $90,000 grant to purchase vehicles and equipment to help control little fire ant infestations. The
Hawaii County will use a $90,000 grant to purchase vehicles and equipment to help control little fire ant infestations.
The funds will pay for a pickup truck, utility vehicle, 100-gallon towable sprayer and baiting chemicals, according to a request from the county Department of Parks and Recreation.
Reid Sewake, parks business manager, said the truck will be used to haul equipment to park sites and the utility vehicle will tow the sprayer.
The county uses three contracted little fire ant control technicians to eliminate infestations at county parks and facilities. Sewake said the contracted workers are using county vehicles that “could be essentially used elsewhere.” He said the grant-supported program has enough funds to last another year.
The council voted Friday to accept the grant from the state Department of Agriculture.
