State recruits unexpected weapon to fight destructive beetles threatening economy: 'It's really exciting'

An invasive beetle is threatening vegetation, culture, and the economy in the nation's 50th state, but a team of humans' best friends is working to ward it off.

Conservation Dogs of Hawaiʻi trained three dogs last year to detect the coconut rhinoceros beetle, which is native to Africa, China, and Southeast Asia and is destroying the state's native loulu palms, KITV reported.

The beetles also damage taro, pandanus, banana trees, and more, making them vulnerable to disease or killing them.

"The CRB doesn't just harm plants; it threatens Maui County's entire economy and ecosystem, including the species that depend on these plants," the county of Maui notes. "Its damage to cultural staples like hala and taro also impacts Native Hawaiian cultural practices. Protecting these plants is critical for preserving our local heritage and maintaining a healthy, balanced ecosystem and local economy."

The 2-inch critters feature horns and a four- to nine-month life cycle, according to the Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee. They have been on the archipelago for little over a decade, though they have already established a permanent presence on the third-largest and most populous island, which is home to Honolulu.

Others are experiencing earlier stages of infestation, and this is where the dogs come in. The new-to-Kauaʻi detection method focuses on grubs, which are difficult to find since they emerge from eggs in decaying plant matter, which is plentiful in Hawai'i.

Conservation Dogs of Hawaiʻi trains the animals to find these and other invasive species. In the case of the coconut rhinoceros beetle, three dogs sniffed out 300-plus grubs over four training sessions last year.

"They're interested in one area and you start to dig and all of a sudden you'll find one. So we just pull the dogs back and everybody goes in with their shovels and rakes, and we just start digging. It's really exciting," said volunteer Deb Gochros of Kīlauea, whose dogs Luna and Xena make up two-thirds of the team.

The goal is to eradicate the bugs from the islands and contain them on Oʻahu, per the Hawai'i Invasive Species Council.

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The government advises that managing green waste is the most effective method of control and that removing breeding material on a four-month basis can keep the beetles from reaching adulthood.

Minimizing the threat is vital to the state, which depends on the tourism industry and is getting help from New Zealand to manage the coconut rhinoceros beetle and another invasive insect.

"I'm hopeful that we can curb the spread of CRB on Kauaʻi. I live on Oʻahu and it's a little bit late to eradicate it here, but I'm hoping that they can make a dent in Kaua'i," Conservation Dogs of Hawaiʻi founder Kyoko Johnson told KITV.

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