Subsistence Farmers' Management of Infestations of the Little Fire Ant in Garden Plots on Bauro, Makira Province, Solomon Islands

摘要

The little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata is known to negatively impact the native fauna of tropical islands in the Pacific and its sting is a nuisance to farmers in their garden plots. We examine whether the presence of the little fire ant has the potential to disrupt subsistence gardening practices, with implications for livelihoods and wellbeing. We used structured questionnaires, analysed quantitatively, with 90 participants from the Central Bauro area, Makira, the Solomon Islands, and more detailed semi-structured interviews, analysed qualitatively, with another six people. Our results show that the presence of the little fire ant affects gardening activities by reducing time spent working effectively, influencing decisions about where to make gardening plots, discouraging children's participation, and changing traditional gardening practices. We also find that the longer the ant is present, the more tolerant Central Bauro subsistence farmers become of its presence.