Christmas arrived early for an Oahu tree farm with a jump in sales in the wake of pest problems with tree shipments from the Pacific Northwest.
Aaron O’Brien, owner of Helemano Farms, a family-operated business in Wahiawa that sells locally grown Norfolk pine and Leyland cypress trees, said sales in the first three days after Thanksgiving were up 10 to 15 percent over last year.
Contributing to the jump was a reduced supply of mainland trees after a pest infestation held up almost half of the containers in a shipment last week.
"The day after Thanksgiving has been the best day we’ve ever seen," said O’Brien. "Our parking lot was extremely busy."
He said the farm has seen an increase in business each year since it opened a decade ago, with quite a few regulars.
"It’s totally a family experience," said O’Brien. "I think once people come out here and give it a try, they’re pretty much stuck on it."
Since Friday, agricultural inspectors have released a dozen more shipping containers of trees after treatment.
The containers are part of a 150-container shipment of Douglas and noble fir trees from Oregon and Washington. Seventy-four of the 150 containers were blocked from distribution to retailers due to an infestation of non-native pests such as banana slugs, which can damage local agriculture and pose a health hazard.
Twenty-one containers were released last week; four were sent back to the shippers. Thirty-seven containers are still being held pending treatment.
Helemano Farms is benefiting from the pest problem as residents turn to their business through word of mouth, O’Brien said.
He said his trees last longer than those shipped in from the mainland because they are cut on the day of purchase and don’t drop their needles. Tree prices at Helemano range from $40 to $200.
Helen McCord, who owns Kula Botanical Garden on Maui, said buying trees locally keeps money in Hawaii rather than profiting companies in Oregon and Washington. The family-run business, which has nine acres of Monterey pines, has been selling Christmas trees for more than 35 years.
This year’s sale starts Friday, with prices ranging from $34 to $415.
About 140,000 Douglas and noble fir trees shipped in about 250 containers arrive in Hawaii from the Pacific Northwest every year for the holiday season, according to Janelle Saneishi, spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture.
Infested trees undergo either a hot-water treatment or a vigorous shaking. The heat treatment involves spraying them with 118-degree water for eight minutes.
The process is labor-intensive and time-consuming, said Saneishi.
Banana slugs can carry a parasite that can cause angiostrongyliasis, or rat lungworm disease. The disease affects the brain and spinal cord, according to the Department of Health. Symptoms include severe headaches, neck and back stiffness, light sensitivity and nausea.
