06-21-2019, 05:50 AM
Walmart in particular has been cited as a source of coqui frogs because they imported some plants from Puerto Rico.
In Hawaii? Or on the mainland?
Coquis arrived on Big Island in the 1990’s. I know the person who first identified them and reported the strange nighttime peeps to the USDA. Four times. USDA did nothing. The conquis didn’t show up at Hilo Walmart until the 2000’s as far as I know.
Many of the plants at Home Depot & Walmart have grower tags on them. Most are from Puna, some Kona, and north shore Oahu which has a number of large nurseries around the Waimanalo area.
Edited to add:
* The first coqui were brought in by a tropical plant nursery up Huina Road in Kurtistown. They were imported from Puerto Rico as you noted Chunkster.
* Fire ants were first reported in the middle section of HPP, on a lot growing foliage. The grower knew the local nursery from which she had recently purchased new plants, everything else was well established. She notified the grower, but too late, other Puna growers had already bought plants.
In Hawaii? Or on the mainland?
Coquis arrived on Big Island in the 1990’s. I know the person who first identified them and reported the strange nighttime peeps to the USDA. Four times. USDA did nothing. The conquis didn’t show up at Hilo Walmart until the 2000’s as far as I know.
Many of the plants at Home Depot & Walmart have grower tags on them. Most are from Puna, some Kona, and north shore Oahu which has a number of large nurseries around the Waimanalo area.
Edited to add:
* The first coqui were brought in by a tropical plant nursery up Huina Road in Kurtistown. They were imported from Puerto Rico as you noted Chunkster.
* Fire ants were first reported in the middle section of HPP, on a lot growing foliage. The grower knew the local nursery from which she had recently purchased new plants, everything else was well established. She notified the grower, but too late, other Puna growers had already bought plants.
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