(BIVN) – The fight to stop the spread of the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) on Hawaiʻi island is ongoing in Kona, where State and County officials have been working collaboratively since January 2025 to combat the invasive insect.

Last week, crews with the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) and Hawaiʻi County finished a round of treatments on palm trees at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, and shared an update in a news release. 

“The staff of the Department of Agriculture remains dedicated to stopping the further spread of the coconut rhinoceros beetle, with emphasis in areas that are not known to be infested,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture, in the news release. “We truly appreciate the concern and assistance of Mayor Kimo Alameda and the county’s public works crew in providing the resources to prevent CRB from taking hold on Hawai‘i Island. We also appreciate all the various agencies and organizations that work tirelessly in the fight against invasive species.” 

CRB crown treatment at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (photo courtesy Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture)

“The introduction of the coconut rhinoceros beetle is a major concern, and we are committed to doing everything we can—alongside HDOA and our other partners—to stop its spread,” Mayor Alameda said. 

From the HDOA news release: 

In September 2024, HDOA Plant Pest Control (PPC) personnel found a single CRB in a trap during routine monitoring in Waikoloa. This was the first detection of CRB on the island since October 2023 when a Waikoloa resident found six grubs (larvae) in a decaying palm tree stump. Increased surveillance continued throughout the island and more intensely on the Kona side.

image from Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture website

In January 2025, Mayor Alameda and the County of Hawai‘i offered their resources and assistance to HDOA, including the use of their 75-foot boom truck to treat the crowns of palm trees. On January 14, the team treated a total of 38 trees in the Waikoloa area via crown treatments and 24 trees were treated via an injection system which provides systemic protection against CRB. HDOA’s Pesticides Branch was also at the site to assist. So far, there have been no further detections of CRB in Waikoloa.

On March 3, 2025, the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) reported one adult CRB in a detection trap along the boundary of the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. A day later, two more adult CRBs were found in traps at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i (NELHA).

After the detections, HDOA, county crews and airport staff targeted treatments at the airport over a period of three days in March. The county provided the use of two boom trucks and the team treated 128 trees on the airport grounds and injected 12 more trees that were inaccessible to the boom trucks. So far, there have been no further detections at the airport.

Last week, on April 7 and 8, crews began work at NELHA and treated 58 trees via crown treatments with about 14 trees treated via injections due to their close proximity to water.

CRB injection at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (photo courtesy Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture)

All palms that were treated were tagged and surrounded with yellow tape to indicate treatment. Coconuts from treated trees should not be consumed. Questions regarding pesticide use may be addressed to HDOA’s Pesticides Branch at 808-973-9402.

Surveillance for CRB continues around Hawai‘i Island by HDOA, BIISC, University of Hawai‘i, the County of Hawai‘i and the state Department of Health Vector Control Branch.

Residents on all islands are asked to be vigilant when purchasing mulch, compost and soil products, and to inspect bags for evidence of entry holes. CRB grubs breed in decomposing plant and animal waste. An adult beetle is about 2-inches long, all black and has a single horn on its head.

Residents may go to the CRB Response website at crbhawaii.org to learn more about how to detect the signs of CRB damage and how to identify CRB life stages. Reports of possible CRB infestation may also be made to the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).