HONOLULU (KHON2) — State and county legislators met at Kapalama Elementary School on Tuesday to address the statewide infestation of the coconut rhinoceros beetle.
Lawmakers said everyone needs to be more diligent when it comes to dealing with the pests that have now spread from Oahu to every other country.
Officials said CRBs not only hurt the state’s agriculture and ecosystem but can prove devastating effects on the local economy if left unchecked.
“On Oahu, it’s pretty widespread. So mostly, we want people to adopt best management practices to keep those populations as low as possible and any material that’s moving off of Oahu make sure that it doesn’t have CRB in it so that we’re not spreading it to other islands,” said Keith Wiser, CRB Response Team.
Coconut rhinoceros beetles can measure up to 2.5 inches in length and have a distinctive “horn.”
With their horn, the beetles drill into the crowns of palm trees and feed on their sap, leaving the trees vulnerable to disease.