Hawaiʻi County is continuing to increase support for efforts to stop the spread of the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB).

Recently, the County awarded a $250,000 grant to the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) to combat CRB and other pests. In addition, the County is continuing to assist the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture with treating the crowns of palm trees for CRB by providing 75-foot boom trucks.

The grant to BIISC is provided by the County Department of Research and Development, with funds supporting eradication of CRB and invasive plant species. Efforts funded by the grant that are focused on CRB include supporting backyard surveys using a scent detection dog, palm and mulch surveys, a community-host trap program, and public outreach and education efforts.

CRB was first detected on Oʻahu in December 2013. It was later detected in Waikōloa in October 2023. Ongoing survey and trapping efforts have recently found CRB at the Keāhole Ag Park, Oʻoma, West Hawaiʻi Veterans Cemetery, Kohanaiki, Hawaiʻi Ocean Science and Technology Park, and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport.

For more information, or to report CRB, visit www.crbhawaii.org

Photo credit: Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture