HONOLULU — State and county leaders representing the Kalihi-Kapalama area will host a community meeting, May 14, 6 p.m., at Kapalama Elementary School to discuss the spread of coconut rhinoceros beetles across the state. 

What You Need To Know

  • The meeting will include a presentation by the Oahu Invasive Species Committee and a question-and-answer session with City Council members Tyler Dos Santos-Tam and Radiant Cordero, state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim and state Reps. Sonny Ganaden and May Mizuno

  • CRBs, which measure up to 2.5 inches in length, bore into the crowns of palm trees to feed on their sap, leaving large boreholes that can severely damage or kill young trees and weaken older trees, leaving them susceptible to disease

  • The insect was first detected in Hawaii in Dec. 2013 near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. In 2023, it was detected on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island

  • CRBs live and breed in compost, palm waste and mulch. The Hawaii Invasive Species Council and the Coconut Beetle Response recommend regularly using green waste bins and grinding plant waste to help prevent the beetles from spreading

The meeting will include a presentation by the Oahu Invasive Species Committee and a question-and-answer session with City Council members Tyler Dos Santos-Tam and Radiant Cordero, state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim and state Reps. Sonny Ganaden and May Mizuno.

“These pests hurt our economy, our agriculture, and — most importantly — our island’s fragile ecosystem,” said Dos Santos-Tam. “Unfortunately, it’s only getting worse. In the last year, the coconut rhinoceros beetle has spread from Oahu to each of our other counties. If we’re going to change course, we have to be more diligent about this issue. That starts with spreading more awareness. Our communities need to know why these pests are a problem and how we can stop them.”

CRBs, which measure up to 2.5 inches in length, bore into the crowns of palm trees to feed on their sap, leaving large boreholes that can severely damage or kill young trees and weaken older trees, leaving them susceptible to disease.

The insect was first detected in Hawaii in Dec. 2013 near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. In 2023, it was detected on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island.

“Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles are one of many invasive species that are causing severe economic and ecological damage to Hawaii,” said Mercado Kim. “It is up to all of us to stop the spread of coconut rhinoceros beetles, and we must all learn how to identify, prevent and deal with them to protect Hawaii.”

CRBs live and breed in compost, palm waste and mulch. The Hawaii Invasive Species Council and the Coconut Beetle Response recommend regularly using green waste bins and grinding plant waste to help prevent the beetles from spreading.

“As federal rules regarding soil imports and other measures are being adopted there are limited options to get in front of this,” Ganaden said. “There are additional issues around invasive species that I'm continuing to be educated about including octocoral, albizia and more.”

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.