Imagine a creature the size of a quarter that can negatively affect real estate values with its call alone. That’s a coqui frog, an invasive species in Hawaii that is said to have arrived in the late 1980’s from Puerto Rico. I grew up in the South and was accustomed to hearing crickets and cicadas (oftentimes very loud) at night in the summertime, but a colony of coqui frogs can cause entire neighborhoods to need earplugs just to sleep. In fact, their presence on or near a property is even a disclosure requirement for real estate transactions.
Without a natural enemy or predator to keep coquis in check, they can come into a neighborhood or resort area in plants from nurseries. I remember a nursery in Kihei a few years back that had a colony, and people in the area were ready to take legal action over the nightly commotion. Here’s a sample of just one frog’s obnoxiously loud call…now think about trying to sleep with a whole army of these guys screaming at you:
Besides the noise factor, coquis are also a threat to insects that are needed for pollinating and to the balance of native ecosystems. In addition to the impact on real estate, they can also affect tourism and negatively affect plant selling businesses.
The folks at MISC (Maui Invasive Species Committee) are Maui’s frontline defense against the many coquis invading the island. They use an ecologically safe mixture of citric acid to help eradicate the little monsters. I have trouble killing anything other than mosquitoes and centipedes, so I’m glad these folks aren’t afraid to get the job done. It’s tough work too, traversing thick rainforest gulches in the dead of night to reach the areas overrun by screeching frogs.
Some islands have managed to get their coqui frog populations under control, but Maui still has a definite problem. There are several known colonies in natural areas as well as those at residences, hotels, and nurseries. MISC offers tips on helping to keep your property coqui-free. Some things you can do include maintaining the yard by mowing cane grass, thinning out plants and trees, removing dead leaves, and not growing bromeliads. They also have information on the best ways to catch and spray coquis, mix your own citric acid solution, build a barrier, and report your control efforts on Google Earth.
If you think you might have a coqui problem, go to Coqui-Free Maui to help identify what you see and hear. They have an online form to report your findings and request follow-up contact from the coqui crew.
Thanks to the good folks at MISC and all of the educated and proactive landowners who are putting in the effort to make coqui frogs on Maui a thing of the past. For more information, visit the Maui Invasive Species Committee website.