08-29-2014, 11:00 AM
quote:
Originally posted by terracore
When the The Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle was recently discovered on Oahu, the state pulled out all the stops. Even flew in the experts from Guam who let the beetle destroy all the palms on that island. (Imagine that conversation.... "What should we do?" "Dunno, but don't do what we did, and do something that we didn't.")
Well...not exactly. Arguably they did more than would have happened if it had arrived in Puna first, but the guys from Guam were tearing their hair out at the lackadaisical response of the people here. The beetle grubs breed in compost (it's the adults that feed on palms), so cutting down the trees doesn't really get rid of them. The main breeding site was a huge mulch pile about 200 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 4 feet deep. Everyone was baffled as to why it hadn't been hauled to HPower and burned as soon as it was discovered. 8 months later, it's still there. Lots of traps have been put up around the island - and they just keep finding more beetles. Most likely, it's already out of control.