Hawaiian Residents Kept Awake by Invasive Frog Croaks as ‘Loud as a Jet Airplane’
- Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:02pm by
Liz Klimas
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HONOLULU (AP) — The coqui is a tiny, coin-sized frog whose distinctive nightly mating calls are a beloved sound in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands. But people in Hawaii don’t share the same sentiment.
The frogs have been growing in population in the state in recent years and are now starting to show up in larger numbers on Oahu — home to most of the state’s population. The frogs already have a strong foothold on the less-populated Big Island, and people there complain of being kept awake at night with a thunderous roar of chirps as thousands of male coqui simultaneously summon partners — a mating chorus some say can be as loud as a jet airplane.
Listen to this recording of the frogs:
The frogs are also preventing the state’s plant nurseries from exporting to some markets, and depressing some Big Island property values. The frogs aren’t stopping tourists from visiting, but there’s a fear they could if they spread further.
There have been just as many reports of coqui on Oahu in 2011 as the seven prior years combined, said Derek Arakaki, who helps hunt coqui frogs for the state Department of Agriculture. Before, Arakaki and two others on the coqui-eradication team would head out to capture the frogs on Oahu once a month or maybe twice a month. This year, there have been times when they’ve had to go coqui hunting twice a week.
The frogs are a significant problem in their non-native Hawaii because the state has no natural predators to stop their advance. As a result, they have spread quickly through the lush forests and yards near Hilo since they were accidentally introduced to the Big Island in the 1990s. They have been making a steady advance into the more heavily populated Oahu in recent years, sneaking onto the island on plants and stowing away in cars, piles of lumber, cargo pallets and whatever else that’s being sent to Honolulu.
“Compared to the amount that’s on the Big Island, very few are actually getting through,” said Carol Okada, an Agriculture Department plant quarantine manager who heads the state’s efforts to control invasive species. “But the amount that’s getting through is still enough to establish a population, so we are still very concerned.”
Coqui, which get their name because of their “ko-kee” chirps, are showing up in diverse places. The International Marketplace outdoor bazaar in the heart of Waikiki, the state’s tourist mecca. Near a banyan tree in front of a multiplex theater. Seven coqui were found in a home in the upscale Diamond Head neighborhood. The residents had brought back some plants from the Big Island not knowing they needed to be inspected for coqui before shipping them to Oahu.
Coqui eradication team members spot them by mimicking their mating call, which prompts the frogs to call back. They hone in on the sound and trap the frogs with a clear tube. Sometimes, they’ll spray water to entice the frog to sing.
In a few cases, the coqui team has found so many frogs they’ve had to kill them with citric acid, the preferred chemical for eradicating the frogs.
That was the case in the rural windward Oahu town of Hauula, where coqui had spread out across several homes and a city park. Residents there heard nocturnal chirping, but didn‘t call the state’s pest control hotline because they thought birds were making the sounds. By the time the authorities were notified, the frogs had been around and breeding for two years. It took the crew several months to get rid of the infestation.
The problem is only made worse by recession-induced budget cuts that forced the state to slash the number cargo inspectors to 50 from 95.
This caused the Agriculture Department to prioritize checking out-of-state cargo, because imports are more likely to carry harmful species like snakes — an animal that hasn’t become established in Hawaii.
Okada said the state will have to capture more pests that get through because there haven’t been enough people to spot them at the ports.
“When you’re not at the front end, you end up chasing it on the back end,” Okada said.
The state has had this problem with snakes, which could wipe out Hawaii’s native endangered bird species they ever became established here. A dozen — from boa constrictors to ball pythons — have been either captured or turned in to authorities since July.
“There’s a reason why all the snakes are coming out this year. We’re not out in force anymore,” Okada said.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie enabled the state to hire 10 more people to bring the inspector count close to 60, but Okada said they’re still far short of where they need to be to effectively intercept pests entering Hawaii or traveling inter-island.
Okada said one scary thing about this past year was that many coqui were found closer to the base of Oahu’s heavily forested mountains. The coqui population could explode if they started breeding somewhere like the back part of Manoa valley, where it frequently rains.
Authorities are asking the public to call the state’s pest control hotline if they think they hear a coqui.
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Comments (73)
grannyrecipe
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 8:00amHow about this, hold the Cub Scouts of America convention there and then let them all loose armed with pellet guns and flashlights…they would have a heck of a good time!
Report Post »amd1044
Posted on December 27, 2011 at 9:49amThat’s right, and let them stomp on some caterpillars while they’re at it! Big mature boy, future leaders of america right?
Report Post »My wife is from Puerto Rico and she was trying to fall asleep listening to that video, she didn’t hear those frogs in years. You have to choose if you like something or not.
Bronco II
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 6:44amThe FROGS KNOW.Yes like the BEES.Some may not understand but I think most will. :)
Report Post »alaskajohn
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 1:29amSomeone needs to create a tasty dish out of the frog and charge ridiculous amounts at all the best restaurants for very small portions. The frog would be hunted to extinction within a few years and have to be protected by the greenies.
Report Post »hurricanerigger
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 5:12amStop the killings, stop the murder of thousands of Puerto Rican citizens in Hawaii! PR’s saved the sugar cane industry in Hawaii! That is our gift to you! You should say MAHALO!!!
Report Post »The_Almighty_Creestof
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 6:08amDrop a few thousand spayed/neutered feral cats there…no more froggies. The cats can then be caught easier and/or will die off in time. But do cats eat frogs?
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on December 27, 2011 at 1:23pm@ Almighty….I take it you have never been to Hawaii…in particular a little area called Fort Derussey is LOADED with cats but I am thinking they don’t have a taste for these critters…..
Report Post »Pro-Palin
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 1:00amFroglegs to feed the poor ?
Report Post »Anne G
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 6:49amThey are only coin size……would love to see their legs. lol
Report Post »BetterDays
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:31pmHa, I bet these frogs don’t need a TelePrompTer !
Report Post »1776freedomofspeech
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:53pmYou are not supposed to compare the prez to frogs, that would be…..ah, nevermind.
Report Post »Cosmos102
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 12:47amHawaii is a Liberal state. Liberals love a good cause. Why not protests to save the coqui frog? Where are those big, artificial Liberal hearts?
Report Post »2theADDLED
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:19pmMake sure no one kisses them they will turn into a illegal immigrant.
Report Post »They have learned cloaking.
Detroit paperboy
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:51pmSeventeen planes , including c-130 cargo planes, twin 747s yes a duplicate flys everywhere, support staff, michelles posse had to fly seperately, cuz she cant stand. To be near her limp wristed sissy of a husband, and our banker… Ie chinese leader, shows up in DC last summer on air china, do you see anything wrong here ??? No wonder the rest of the world hates us!!!
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:58pmThe price of living in paradise.
Report Post »MellonCrib
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 10:38amI think you got it right. I live in the South and it wouldn‘t be summer if the Cicada’s weren’t singing. Talk about the sound of a jet plane. But I guess people in paradise are a little more delicate than the rest of us.
Report Post »eric55
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:54pmhow come human women dont make mating calls? how awesome would that be!
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:57pmYou must be young, us old guys know it when we hear it. It can’t be taught.
Report Post »sundaisy91
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:35pmoh but eric55 they do…it sounds like this: “i am sooo drunk!” ask any of my fellow bartenders :)
Report Post »demarvell
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:37pmThey do, the say: I think I’m drunk! Unless they are ugly then they say, are you drunk yet?
Report Post »Fonz777
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:40pmJust wait until the government come up with one of their solutions – like the vine Kudsu, multiflora rose and starlings.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:17pmMoses? Is that you?
Report Post »THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 4:35pmJust do what the pentagon and U S policies do….Drop bombs
Report Post »shagstar
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 4:33pmall we need now is a frog that sings,,,,,nobama!!
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 4:28pmSound like birds chirping to me….
Somebody send them some real American Bull Frogs.
Report Post »Judy72204
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 10:17amReal Bullfrogs croaking is what I thought they were talking about. I was disappointed to hear tree frogs chirping. We have them here in Arkansas and I love to hear them. The Bullfrog is missing from here and I would love to have them back…Burrrump, burrrrump….
Report Post »truthseekerusa
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 4:21pmMaybe some of the frogs will come back to Washington with Obama and finally drive him out of the White House with their croaking.
Report Post »Patriot of My America
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 6:28pmI really ,really LIKE that idea …LOL
Report Post »Twobyfour
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:14pmI just visualized it (plus audio effects) Frogs croaking on WH lawn an Oh Bama croaking in return.
Report Post »LeadNotFollow
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:41pmI would much rather have croaking frogs as neighbors, than the Obama family partying on our four million dollars.
Report Post »Patriot of My America
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 6:53pmIt is not OUR 4 Million Dollars , they are putting into practice redistribution of Other Peoples Money…
Report Post »Free2speakRN
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:30pmI saw this on a learning chanel. They are cute at first. Then the overwhelming amount was very creepy. It was like the ‘plague of the frogs’ in Egypt by Moses. They were everywhere. I think there was one every two feet in any direction.
Report Post »TexasPeach
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 7:39pmI lived on the Big Island for four years between 2001 and 2005. When we first arrived there were NO coqui frogs at all. By 2005 they had infested Kapoho where we lived which is situated near the world famous tide pools. Now, as the sun begins to set they are SO LOUD you have to close your windows which eliminates any air circulation in your house because there is no air con there (that is affordable). Believe me when I say it is extremely painful to your ears. You can’t sleep at night because they call all night until sunrise and sometimes even after.
Report Post »It really is damaging the real estate and tourist market to the point where many people will never return to that beautiful area simply because of the frogs. You can‘t drop cats in because they won’t eat frogs..too bitter and besides the mongooses kill and eat the cats. The only way to stop them is spray bleach or citric acid directly on their skin. Period. Trust me, you don’t want them in your yard.
orkydorky
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:30pmMmmmmmmmmmm, just another crisis for BO, so let’s see must be worth a couple or three billion to his friends!
Report Post »ZeroOff4impact
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:20pmWait a minute … Aren’t there people screaming that frogs are in extreme danger of extinction ? Now they have eradication teams. . . ?
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:45pmThey will be a protected species soon. No worries, they will not croak without a fight from the emviromentalmidgets.
Report Post »singleparent
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:17pmThey’ll be gone in 17 days no biggy….GO FROGS !
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:16pmIf they would just bother to translate what the frogs are saying it would read:
“Obama is fired 2012, shout for joy.”
Report Post »singleparent
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:36pmThere say’ing beware of the antichrist….
Report Post »garyM
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:14pmRevelation 16:13
13And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Psalm 105:30
30Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.
kickagrandma
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:34pm@GARYM ~~~ Exactly!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 5:09pmPerfect …
Report Post »CulperGang
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 11:56pmNOW IT MAKES sense. I knew the presence of those frogs had something to do with that dragon michelel and her sodomite side kick. God is very subtle.
Report Post »Thanks for pointing this outG
BornJewishMuslimByFaith
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:14pmDidn’t Australia have a frog problem? First Australia, now Hawaii! God help us all!
Report Post »demarvell
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:39pmNo, Australia had a trillion mice problem. That is where Obama learned how to count to a Trillion!!
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:11pmThe understanding a person has in their heart and mind, their skin and bones will surely follow.
Report Post »In detroit
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:09pmDumbo brought in a plagues of egypt , 2012 your out Dumbo!!!!!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:06pmMmmmm… frog legs!
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:22pmAt two centimeters long, that would be a lot of frogs for that meal.
Report Post »hurricanerigger
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 5:05amFunny that after all that journalistic rhetoric, in Puerto Rico where the Coqui frog is from it venerated in many ways: if you catch one means good luck, is thwe only frog that doesnt have a tadpole stage but is fully formed right out of the egg, the male takes care of the babies, and best of all Puerto Ricans go to sleep in peace to the sound of the Coqui frog as if ther is no chirping means that something or someone lurks in the darkness. They have no crisis nor overpopulation in PR, it is the most adorable and friendly specie. No other place in the world has Coqui frogs as they are indigenous of PR and for many centuries believed that it would die inmediately after leaving the island. Apparently a puertorican was able to do what many scientist have failed in. Relocating the frog succesfully. This frog is a blessing to all the people of Puerto Rico and a bad omen to whomever attempts against the tiny frog. The Government of Hawaii must have discovered that Coqui frogs are traditionalist conservatives from PR and that is why they are suppressing their Freedom of Speech. Hawaii, if you mess with the Coqui, you are doomed for certain destruction. You have worse things to deal with such as crime and the high cost of living and the fact that Obama allegedly was born there. They are a National Treasure! Get rid of Wayne Newton first!
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