Coconut rhinoceros beetle

[WaianaeCrider]

Checked again this morning.  Zero count.  But I can see ALL OVER THE PLACE where the feral chicken is digging through the leaf litter that covers about 3/4 of the 2 acres.

[WaianaeCrider]

As of today this is a list of my palms or those I've heard of that have been attacked by the CRB.  I'm sure there are many others around the islands that I don't know about.

I believe all but my Pritchardia beccariana have recovered due to  injections and spraying with imidacloprid

AdonidiaMerrillii

Arenga macrocarpa

Cocos nucifera

Coccothrinax

Copernicia berteroana

Hyphaene coriacea

JubaeopsisCaffra

Licuala grandis

Pritchardias (All)

Roystonea

Syagrus sancona

Veitchia arecina

Veitchia joannis

[WaianaeCrider]

On 11/21/2024 at 10:13 AM, realarch said:

Cindy, I just chose a spot that was in a clearing and about 6’ off the ground for access. The lure packets that are available for the trap come in an aluminum sleeve that you peel off exposing the clear plastic pouch. You can smell the chemical attractant immediately.  The chemical is contained on a felt like disc within the sealed plastic pouch, so no liquid. Yours is a different design and must disperse the smell through the plastic.

Tim

Have you caught any ?  Know of any on your island?

[Cindy Adair]

I have not caught anything yet, BUT Alphascents wants me to wait a few more days before puncturing the plastic bulb that contains the lure specific for the ox rhino beetle. Soon it will be time to puncture it and then maybe capture some!

No coconut beetles in PR I am told but I would need the ox beetle and the coconut beetle side by side to begin to tell the difference! 

As to palms attacked by ox beetles on my farm, it is interesting that not much overlap. See below.

AdonidiaMerrillii- have but no attacks

Arenga macrocarpa-don’t have but so far no Arengas attacked

Cocos nucifera-have LOTS but no attacks

Coccothrinax-Maybe one attack not killed 

Copernicia berteroana-have and no Copernicia species attacks

Hyphaene coriacea-don’t have

JubaeopsisCaffra-don’t have

Licuala grandis-have lots and most are attacked 

Pritchardias (All)-have and most attacked

Roystoneas-have LOTS and no attacks

Syagrus sancona-don’t have

Veitchia arecina - have other Veitchias not attacked

Veitchia joannis-see above

Lots of other genera attacked when young by ox rhino like Chambeyronia, Kerriodoxa, Pelagodoxa, Rhopaloblaste, Archontophoenix, Ravenea, Calyptronoma, Calyptocalyx, Chrysalidocarpus, Geonoma,Asterogyne, Loxococcus, Mauritius, etc.

Some killed, some saved. So far,  once trunking, no more holes in or near stem and healthy palms. 
 

As a zoology major, all of this is of interest despite the losses, especially the different species attack preferences and adult palms versus juvenile Palm targets. 
 

Please keep posting your results.

[WaianaeCrider]

How goes the CRB on the Big Island?  Spreading?

[WaianaeCrider]

I havenʻt said much here for a long time.

Last year I caught 79 from June to Nov.  None in Dec.

This year so far 29 with none  Jan to Feb

Since then I caught 29

March 8   April 1   May 6   June 14

I have only lost one palm a 20 + year old Pritchardia the I waited to long to treat.  All infected trees so far are surviving and putting out new fronds.

The coconut and pritchardias in the area are taking a beating and Iʻm guessing thatʻs where the oneʻs I catch come from.  Iʻve spent a lot of money  in the past year about $700 on insecticides and $34 a month for the lures to place in the traps.  But so far I can afford it.  

What hurts is that Iʻve given up buying new palms.  Hope they never get to Florabunda.

[MarkC]

😭 please save all the palms. 

[Kim]

Thanks very much for your update and trapping history.

[happypalms]

On 7/1/2025 at 5:38 PM, WaianaeCrider said:

I havenʻt said much here for a long time.

Last year I caught 79 from June to Nov.  None in Dec.

This year so far 29 with none  Jan to Feb

Since then I caught 29

March 8   April 1   May 6   June 14

I have only lost one palm a 20 + year old Pritchardia the I waited to long to treat.  All infected trees so far are surviving and putting out new fronds.

The coconut and pritchardias in the area are taking a beating and Iʻm guessing thatʻs where the oneʻs I catch come from.  Iʻve spent a lot of money  in the past year about $700 on insecticides and $34 a month for the lures to place in the traps.  But so far I can afford it.  

What hurts is that Iʻve given up buying new palms.  Hope they never get to Florabunda.

That’s such a devastating bug to be killing palms. And as you say you have stopped buying new palms, I would go insane if i could not buy new palms and plant them. Has the nursery industry in Hawaii been affected by this bug? 

[WaianaeCrider]

On 7/2/2025 at 1:20 AM, happypalms said:

That’s such a devastating bug to be killing palms. And as you say you have stopped buying new palms, I would go insane if i could not buy new palms and plant them. Has the nursery industry in Hawaii been affected by this bug? 

I guess Jeff of Florabunda could give an answer.  We also have crazy HIGH water rates that get higher the more you use.  With my two acres in a month w/o any rain and my irrigation going ALL NIGHT long 6 nights a week my monthly bill is over $500.  Not sure I can afford to water new plants.

[happypalms]

1 hour ago, WaianaeCrider said:

I guess Jeff of Florabunda could give an answer.  We also have crazy HIGH water rates that get higher the more you use.  With my two acres in a month w/o any rain and my irrigation going ALL NIGHT long 6 nights a week my monthly bill is over $500.  Not sure I can afford to water new plants.

Wow that’s insane for water. I guess iam lucky I have a bore for water so only have to pay for electricity to run the pump. It is something to consider your water supply if you have a nursery. I might send Geoff an email and ask about the situation in his nursery. 

[96720]

I know those injections are an acceptable way of treating trees but not one I think is wise it seems to me that it is a way for fungus or bacterial infection I think a soil drench is a safer way and cheaper!!! By the way I would love a $500 water bill I just received my bill for last month $2510.40!!!!!

[WaianaeCrider]

On 7/4/2025 at 10:20 PM, happypalms said:

Wow that’s insane for water. I guess iam lucky I have a bore for water so only have to pay for electricity to run the pump. It is something to consider your water supply if you have a nursery. I might send Geoff an email and ask about the situation in his nursery. 

Itʻs not a nursery.  Just got lucky 45 years ago and bought some "ag land" that was not good for ag and itʻs a dry stream bed and the steep slopes on each side.  Canʻt drill for water here. Uncle wonʻt let us.

[WaianaeCrider]

First week of July only trapped 2 CRB.  This one trap has caught more than any of the others.

[happypalms]

52 minutes ago, WaianaeCrider said:

Itʻs not a nursery.  Just got lucky 45 years ago and bought some "ag land" that was not good for ag and itʻs a dry stream bed and the steep slopes on each side.  Canʻt drill for water here. Uncle wonʻt let us.

Dont tell uncle your drilling! But 45 years ago I bet you were super stocked in that purchase, I got my first block of land at age 21. So I know the feeling of a bit of dirt to plant on! 

[WaianaeCrider]

Got a good look at my 2 Royals.  CRB damage can ne seen.  Gonna break out the systemic poison again .  Bye bye bees :-(

[WaianaeCrider]

1 hour ago, WaianaeCrider said:

Got a good look at my 2 Royals.  CRB damage can ne seen.  Gonna break out the systemic poison again .  Bye bye bees 😞

Maybe file to big 

I

[WaianaeCrider]

Weekly CRB report 

Fresh lures last Saturday,  caught 10 this week. 

 

 

[WaianaeCrider]

Didn't report last week but there were 9 in the traps

 

Today got another 9.

 

Next week I put in new lures.   Wow July is busy month.

[WaianaeCrider]

Caught 70 for the month of July.  

Wondering if my two Royals are gonna make it.

[Cindy Adair]

I am so sorry you are fighting this battle!

 I have not been able to be diligent with inspection and protection of mine against the Ox rhino in the last few months.

 I fear the news will not be good here either as imidocloprid wears off from March and it rains nearly every day. 

It is interesting to me that my Ox rhino beetles seem to avoid all my Roystonea borinquena of all ages. Perhaps they got bored and now prefer only the expensive rare ones at my place. 

[WaianaeCrider]

August 9th.  Caught another 17.  and found my Hala tree about 1/2 dead.  Gotta get something to spray the "crown" of it on Monday.

Looks like my neighbors are not fighting as hard as I am.

[SeanK]

On 7/5/2025 at 2:32 AM, WaianaeCrider said:

I guess Jeff of Florabunda could give an answer.  We also have crazy HIGH water rates that get higher the more you use.  With my two acres in a month w/o any rain and my irrigation going ALL NIGHT long 6 nights a week my monthly bill is over $500.  Not sure I can afford to water new plants.

Recycle rain water in barrels or grey water from the showers 

[WaianaeCrider]

14 hours ago, SeanK said:

Recycle rain water in barrels or grey water from the showers 

I do recycle gray water.  Not enough rain to make it worth while.  Just about 1/2" the last months and Aug looks to be the same.

[Stevetoad]

Man I haven't been to Oahu in 2 years and just got back. I couldn't believe how bad the damage is all around the island. almost every group of cocos I saw had a bunch of them showing damage as well as the pritchardias. I was on big island in January and April and find see any there.  kind of heart breaking to see how much damage these pests have caused. 

[WaianaeCrider]

Damm CRB messing w/a memory of a friend.

About 8 years ago a bowling friend gave me some dates to chew on.  Being a palm guy I saved the seeds and got 3 to sprout.  Planted them out in 2020, all three in a bunch, thinking maybe in another 20 years they might flower and the bees pollinate them.  I’m pretty sure I won’t live to see that happening, but someone will.  (now that’s become a maybe).

About 3 years ago Joe, who gave me the fruit passed on to that land where every time he throws a bowling ball he’ll get a strike.  So these palms have more of a meaning to me than the average palm I have planted.

Walking pass it this morning and one of the fronds is laying on the ground.  Looking close it seems to have been chewed almost totally through causing it to fall.  DANG CRB.  So I headed up to the house and got my 2 gallon pump sprayer and put in some Talstar Professional which is Bifenthrin at 7.9%.

It’s supposed to kill the CRB on contact but has no long lasting effect.  I sprayed a bunch of other palms to use up the 2 gallons.  In the past 4 days I’ve sprayed every palm I can reach w/the hand held sprayer.  I’ve used it before and IT WORKS .  I’ve saved at least 4 palms I’ve sprayed w/it.

Dang CRB went after my young three trunked Hala tree (Pandanus tectorius).  Wasn’t checking it as I should have and I think one truck is to far gone, but I might have saved the other two.  Time will tell.

I’m going to up load the pictures from my phone after this part posts because this group won't accept pictures from  my computer.

[WaianaeCrider]

Weekly CRB count.

10 in my 4 traps.

Oʻahu elevation 380ʻ, West side.

[JohnAndSancho]

Get gangsta on them for chewing on Joe's tree.