Question: I had to chuckle over the mountain apple “auwe.” We had a similar situation, but it turned out that it was a flock of bulbuls that ate the whole crop in about 20 minutes. I just couldn’t believe it! Maybe your reader will reach some understanding if he or she hears about our experience.
Answer: The suggestion that birds and not humans could have raided the bountiful tree before its owners harvested the delicious fruit might just buoy the reader who expressed consternation over the loss in an item published Tuesday (808ne.ws/1ZOHsQM).
Your theory is plausible, but agricultural theft is a persistent problem in Hawaii, said Jayme T. Grzebik, an urban horticulturist and statewide coordinator for the University of Hawaii Master Gardener Program based at the Oahu Urban Garden Center in Pearl City. The center is affiliated with the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Cooperative Extension Service.
The red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) and red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) are classified as “injurious species” in Hawaii, aggressive pests that gobble up fruits, vegetables and flower buds from farms and gardens, according to the Hawaii Invasive Species Council. Both are established on Oahu; efforts focus on preventing their spread to neighbor islands.
“When the mountain apples turn red or even a little bit pink, that’s the visual signal for the birds to target a food source,” Grzebik said. “The same thing happens with tomatoes. Some gardeners are picking them green to beat the birds.”
However, the birds generally leave evidence, such as partially eaten fruit on the branch or vine, or residue on the ground. “Usually you can tell they’ve been there,” she said.
The “auwe” author described a tree stripped clean, which is reminiscent of human thieves, said Grzebik, who has witnessed the aftermath of such crimes at the urban garden. “They take every last bit. Plant theft is a real problem statewide,” she said, especially for farmers struggling to make a living.
Some install security cameras, hire guards or try other expensive deterrents. Simpler methods abound, too. Grzebik recalled a mango farmer in Makaha who posted a digital photo of a thief in action. “That was effective because everyone knew this person and the family came and apologized.”
Oahu Urban Garden Center volunteers sometimes mark fruit on the tree with a white Urban Garden Center logo, a signal to anyone who later sees the fruit for sale that it is stolen. “We don’t sell any of our fruit. We donate fresh produce to the Hawaii Foodbank — 6,000 pounds last year — so it’s a real loss and discouraging” when thieves strike, she said.
Consumers can help deter theft by patronizing vendors who are knowl- edgeable about the fruits and vegetables they sell. “Ask questions. If the vendor can’t tell you much about the product or the source, that’s a red flag,” she said. “Don’t buy stolen fruit … and spread the word so others don’t, either.”
The Oahu Urban Garden Center offers a variety of programs and tours that are open to schools and the general public. Learn more at www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ougc.
Q: Who pays to quarantine all those dogs?
A: Their owners. Hawaii is the only state that is free of rabies, a fatal virus that can spread to people via the saliva of an infected animal (usually through a bite). To prevent rabies from becoming established here, state law requires that dogs, cats and other carnivores brought to Hawaii complete either the 120-day or five-day-or-less rabies quarantine programs. The law requires that the entire cost be paid by the users; general funds (taxpayer money) may not be used, according to the state Department of Agriculture, which oversees the quarantine programs.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the volunteers who gave up some of their holiday weekend to staff the Democratic Party’s presidential preference poll Saturday. There have been complaints that the voting process was chaotic, and it seems like it was in some places, but that’s not the fault of folks who were asked to help at the last minute and did the best they could. Let’s hope it will be organized better next time, but let’s also not forget to thank the volunteers who gave up their time for others. — A reader
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.
