Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle management requires broad adoption of best practices and treatments across entire neighborhoods and regions to be effective. Green waste management and palm treatments have been used effectively to control CRB in parts of Hawai'i and across the Pacific. CRB remains an active problem, without wide-scale management. Even when landowners choose to take management steps, their efforts may be minimal in the context of their entire area. We encourage neighborhood-wide treatment and management to have the best results for CRB reduction.
Broad-scale treatment is necessary for suppressing populations due to 4 things:
CRB need two things, palms and breeding sites CRB need two primary things to thrive; host plants (like palms) for the adults to feed and material like mulch, compost, logs, or potting soil for the larvae to feed. Adult beetles must feed on a host plant to produce viable eggs.
Regional population reduction saves trees Most current treatments including pesticide application and green waste management work by reducing the total population of CRB that are feeding on the trees in the area rather than repelling beetles.
CRB infest regions, not individual plants Beetles can fly very far if they need to and one adult may feed on different trees during their life. The infestation is not in a tree or single property but across whole neighborhoods.
Most properties must manage CRB to have regional improvement If one property treats its trees and manages breeding material, but nearby properties are unmanaged, the local populations could still be high and all the trees in that zone will be affected (even treated trees).
Treated areas next to untreated areas will still have damage from beetles flying in. Clustered treatments will have better protection for the center of the treated area. Larger continuous managed areas will result in better control.
STEPS TO ORGANIZING YOUR AREA
1. Connect with People in Your Neighborhood
There are several ways to contact your neighbors to organize management. This can be achieved through speaking at neighborhood board meetings, HOA meetings, attending local events, partnering with organizations or businesses, or delivering letters or other resources to neighbors.
2. Provide Information
Provide information on the impacts of CRB in your community and the importance of neighborhood-wide management. Share stories of CRB impacts, and information on management options. Have a contact person and instructions on how to participate.
3. Organize
Organize approach and collect information such as participant contacts, what management and treatment options are feasible for participants, updated BMPs and treatments, and identify local resources available for actions and treatments.
4. Develop Plans
Planning should include setting treatment goals, assessing properties, and assigning responsibilities to participants. In this stage, tools should be acquired and a cost plan should be determined to ensure accessibility and a treatment schedule can be set.
5. Implement
Once plans are developed, share the schedule and plan with all participants and begin the management and treatment actions. Record and track progress.
6. Contacts and Resources
Contact CRB Response anytime during the process for guidance. We can provide:
Best management practices
Treatment guides with application protocols
Sample letters, pamphlets, or door hangers to share with neighbors
Information session or workshop
List of businesses to contact for treatments
and more!
Check out this document for more information!
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