Question: There is a coconut tree in Kaneohe, on the mauka side of Heeia fishpond, that looks a lot like the ones infested with the coconut rhinoceros beetles. Could you forward this to the place that handles this problem?

Answer: We forwarded your photos to Chris Kishimoto, with the state Department of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Branch, who said he could not see any evidence of the beetle damaging the tree.

Instead, he said the tree may be infected with a fungal or bacterial disease.

Signs of the beetle include finger-size holes in the stems of palm fronds and V-shaped frond damage.

The coconut rhinoceros beetle is large, about 2 inches long and up to an inch wide; shiny; and dark brown or black, with a horn on the top of its head.

Although the tree you reported might not be a victim of the beetle, state and federal officials appreciate the public’s vigilance in reporting possible signs of the invasive insect, which can severely damage coconut and other palm trees.

Suspected infestations should be reported to the state’s toll-free pest hotline, 643-7378.

The beetles, first discovered on Oahu in December at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, have been the target of a multi-agency effort to find out how far they may have spread and to figure out a way to eradicate them.

So far, almost all of the beetles have been found only on the military base.

Lantern Traps

In April we reported that large, black, lanternlike traps were being set to see how far the beetles had spread (see bit.ly/1mHmzlW).

They first were hung within a 2-mile radius of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam but can now be found across the island.

(If you see one of these lanterns knocked down, call 679-5244.)

As of this week, 1,821 traps had been deployed on roughly 50 percent of the accessible areas on Oahu, Kishimoto said.

Meanwhile, 81,076 palms had been surveyed and 174 mulch piles (potential breeding grounds) have been examined, many of them more than once, he said.

"We have collected 657 adult beetles, 604 larvae and 16 pupae since the start of the project in January with almost all the

beetles and larvae being collected on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam," he said. "We are currently still researching ways to eradicate infestations when we find them."

Kishimoto said that many infestations are found in mulch, compost and other green-waste piles, where the beetle grubs live and adults like to breed and lay eggs.

"Finding ways to dispose of these piles, which may be thousands of cubic yards in volume, safely and cost effectively is a challenge," he said.

Infested green-waste piles are covered with bird netting, which can contain the beetles until the pile can be treated or eliminated.

Burning and incineration are other options, Kishimoto said, while a chemical insecticide applied to soil has shown a lot of promise in trials to kill adults.

With most of the beetles found on the military base, Kishimoto said the Navy has found a way to compost green-waste piles at higher sustained temperatures than normally is achievable, killing all stages of the insect.

The Navy has also volunteered to cut down damaged or infested trees on the base and to replace them with trees that are not hosts for the beetle, he said.

Mahalo

To the employees and manager Darlene at Safeway Aikahi in Kailua. I fell off the curb in front of the store while attempting to put groceries into my car. My friend called for help and several employees immediately responded. One ran over to the fire station to obtain help. They brought me ice for my injuries, a chair and cold water for me to drink, and all stayed until the fire and ambulance crews arrived. I also want to thank those crews for their quick and thorough response. Mahalo also to a "retired surgeon" for keeping me calm and comfortable until help arrived. I am lucky to live in Kailua. — Clumsy Senior

Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.