Biosecurity — Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)

What’s keeping invasive species out of Hawaiʻi? Inspections, programs and plans and finally, you

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Lissa Strohecker

*Staff from Hawaiʻi receive training on how to handle snakes. It’s part of a larger* *effort to ensure prevention and response capacity.*

On the morning of January 9th, an employee unloading a container at a hardware store on Molokaʻi was startled by the sight of a snake flicking its tongue at him. The store immediately called the Maui Police Department and the Molokaʻi Invasive Species Committee. Within less than an hour of discovery, the snake was caught and dispatched. It was not a normal Monday morning—snakes rarely arrive in Hawaiʻi, and that’s by design.

Invasive species like snakes and other plants and animals can be drivers of environmental change. They can take over habitat used by native plants and animals, fueling wildfires, and disrupting aquifer recharge. These changes jeopardize agricultural and horticultural industries, tourism, and our quality of life. Preventing new invasive pests from becoming established and managing those that are already here is essential, but it doesn’t happen without vision, planning, and coordination. No single organization or agency can tackle all the invasive species challenges.

Even before a cargo ship leaves its port of origin, inspectors check for pests. In Oregon, which grows most of the Christmas trees destined for Hawaiʻi, inspectors shake out trees as they’re loaded into the containers, looking for wasps or other insects. On Guam, where brown tree snakes have overrun the island, a team from the U.S. Geological Survey regularly scours the wheel wells of outgoing planes to check for stowaway snakes. Once cargo arrives in the islands, the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture inspects it for hitchhiking pests. But they can’t check every box, leaf, or plant, and sometimes pests slip past the borders, finding their way into backyards or forests. Sometimes weedy plants are intentionally introduced.

Although invasive species don’t care who owns the land, agencies have specific mandates that limit where they can work. This gap was highlighted by the discovery of the highly invasive miconia plant in Hāna in the early 1990s. Miconia was on private and public land but hadn’t yet reached higher-elevation areas, where it would threaten the watershed. Control needed to occur wherever the plant had taken root.

So resource managers found a way to fill the gap. They created an informal committee, sought funding, and hired staff. Work expanded to other pests and the model was adopted by other islands, resulting in the island-based Invasive Species Committees (ISCs) that work on priority pests on private and public property. The ISCs focus on species that pose the greatest risk of harm and are considered feasible to eradicate or contain to limited areas. They work in close collaboration with partners whose work on invaders is more place-based—for example, watershed partnerships, national parks, natural area reserves, and wildlife refuges.

Addressing invasive species from reaching Hawaii begins outside our borders with inspections. Still some pests slip through the cracks and coordinated plans and response can keep them from becoming established. — Graphic courtesy Hawaii Invasive Species Biosecurity Plan, HISC

When invasive species have spread beyond containment but still pose significant threats, they may be suitable targets for biological control—using natural enemies from their native landscape to reduce their impacts in Hawaiʻi.

With so many players involved in this gargantuan task of addressing invasive species, it’s essential to plan and coordinate. In 2017, the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council released a Hawaiʻi Interagency Biosecurity Plan, developed with input from stakeholders from various agencies and the public. The plan identifies gaps in the biosecurity system and outlines policies, processes, and resources needed to improve our collective response. The plan offers a framework for agency collaboration, with specific tasks identified for lead and partner agencies.

Are we making progress? Chelsea Arnott, Coordinator for the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council highlighted some accomplishments under the plan since 2017:

The Department of Health’s vector control program was restored, enhancing protection against new species of mosquitoes and the spread of mosquito-vectored human disease. This statewide program lost its funding after the 2008 economic downturn.
Research support has led to remote sensing using drones, helicopters, and computer-aided analysis of images to detect trees infected with rapid ohia death.
Landscape-level efforts are underway to protect native birds from mosquito-borne diseases.
In Kaneohe Bay, lab-reared native sea urchins graze on invasive algae that threaten coral reefs.
On Maui, new methods for treating little fire ants by air are proving successful.
Agency cooperation has helped find and test natural enemies to slow the spread of invasive plants, including tibouchina, devil weed, and miconia.
Interagency coordination on outreach and education has increased community awareness about the importance of invasive species.

Ultimately, an alert and aware community is one of the most important layers of protection against the spread of invasive species. Thanks, Molokaʻi, for helping to ensure there are still no snakes in Hawaiʻi.

Learn more about the priorities for action and the agencies working to keep invasive species out of Hawaiʻi; visit https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/plans/hibp/

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on January 13, 2024, as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

Coconut palms are woven into the culture of the islands; a beetle threatens that connection

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Lissa Strohecker

*Baskets woven from coconut leaves. Photo from Maui Nui Botanical Garden*

Would-be weavers spilled out of the shade under an open-sided tent at the Arbor Day event at Maui Nui Botanical Garden. Holding coconut leaves, they patiently worked the material back and forth in intricate patterns. At times, chatter came from the tent; other times, it was silent, brows furrowed in concentration. The kumu, master weaver Pōhaku Kaho’ohanohano, moved among the weavers, getting some started while trimming up and tying off the finished creations of others. Novice weavers hugged the kumu, beaming as they walked away with a new hat, bag, bowl, toy, or ornament created from a diminishing pile of leaves.

Coconut weaving is a tradition that dates back thousands of years throughout Polynesia. Coconut palms were first brought to Hawai‘i with the Polynesians. The coconut plant is akin to a pre-contact department store; it can meet needs and wants. Food (coconut meat) and drink (coconut water), material for building shelters, making rope, and weaving mats, bowls, and storage containers all come from the coconut. It’s even used for games and in ceremonial practice; the nut is used in ‘awa ceremony.

But the future of coconuts in Hawai‘i is at risk from a pest accidentally introduced to Hawai‘i. The coconut rhinoceros beetle is spreading on O‘ahu and has begun to reach other islands.

*The adult coconut rhinoceros beetle is nearly two inches in length, but because it’s nocturnal, it’s rarely seen. Photo courtesy Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response*.

At two inches long, the CRB is a beefy beetle, but it isn’t going to fly interisland on its own. Knowing what you are moving and where it comes from is the first step in preventing the coconut rhinoceros beetle from reaching Maui. By being alert to signs of CRB damage, a vigilant community can help find the pest early and keep it from becoming established.

*Bore holes made as the beetle eats through the crown indicate the beetle’s presence. Photo courtesy Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response*.

There are prevention measures in place. In October of 2023, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) instituted a temporary, one-year rule prohibiting the movement of high-risk material from O‘ahu to the rest of the state to reduce the risk of spreading coconut rhinoceros beetle. As of October, the following items cannot be moved without a permit: palm plants; decomposing plant material, such as compost, wood, or tree chips; mulch; potting soil; and other landscaping products that may harbor CRB.

These safeguards reduce but do not entirely eliminate the risk of spreading CRB. Here are steps you can take to keep the beetle at bay.

For Maui County, soil, compost, and mulch are the greatest risk. Contractors and landscapers bringing in container loads are doing so by permit, but careful sourcing – checking with the vendor if material came from infested areas – can prevent contamination. Homeowners purchasing bagged landscaping products are advised to be alert as well.

Why? It turns out that bags aren’t much of a barrier to a beetle that can chew through coconut trees. Even if the compost, mulch, or soil wasn’t sourced from an infested area, if bagged soil sits in an infested area, an adult beetle lay eggs in it. The first detection of CRB on Maui was a dead adult found in bagged soil; this was also the suspected vector of CRB found recently on Hawai‘i Island.

CRB larvae are found in soil, compost, and muclh. Larvae crawl on their side and if you suspect you have found one in Maui County, take a video and submit a report to 643PEST.org. Photo courtesy of Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response.

Know where your soil and compost are coming from and check for boring holes in bags and larvae. Storing material in closed containers will prevent beetles from laying eggs in them.

The quarantine rule also prohibits shipping coconut plants from O‘ahu that are taller than 4 feet to allow thorough inspection, but the soil in these and all potted plants could be a vector. CRB eggs are only about the size of 1/3 of a tic tac.

As CRB populations on O‘ahu continue to grow, the risk of accidentally transporting the beetle interisland will increase. Visit crbhawaii.org to learn more about distinguishing the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle from similar-looking species and to see photos of palm damage that can indicate an infestation. Contractors and landscapers can find best management practices to reduce the risk of introducing CRB on the MISC website.

Find details about the interim rule on HDOA’s website. Report suspicious larvae and palm damage through the 643PEST.org reporting system. We need everyone’s kōkua to help protect Maui Countyʻs coconuts, from the royal grove in Kapuāiwa on Molokai to the palms that shade the beaches of Hāna.

Detection of Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle on Maui Highlights Importance of Community Involvement in Pest Prevention

Posted on September 21, 2023 by Lissa Strohecker

*An abbreviated list of best management practices for Maui.*

The Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS), program staff from the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council (HISC), and the five Invasive Species Committees (ISCs) in Hawaiʻi are urging vigilance by contractors and landowners to prevent the accidental spread of invasive species.

To support these efforts, CGAPS, HISC support staff, and the ISCs have compiled a list of best management practices (BMPs) for coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB), little fire ants, and other species.

This appeal comes at a time when the urgent need to address impacts from the Maui fires may increase the introduction of infested materials from off-island, and CRB has been detected on both Maui and Kauaʻi.

The proposed reissuance of an emergency quarantine measure, Plant Quarantine Interim Rule 22-1, which restricts the movement of mulch and other potential CRB host materials from Oʻahu, is an important step, but by itself will not be adequate to the spread of this harmful pest. Contractors and individuals need to be sure that pests are not unwittingly moved in palm trees, green waste, mulch, loose or bagged compost, bagged soils, and similar items.

Throughout the state, the continued spread of pests poses significant risks:

Kauaʻi: The recent arrival of the coconut rhinoceros beetle pest to Kaua’i (detected May 31, 2023) highlights the threat posed by the movement of infested material. A decade of research on controlling the pest could lead to eradication on Kaua’i, but limiting the human-vectored spread is critical to achieving this goal.
O’ahu: Continued human-vectored spread will exacerbate the challenges in addressing this pest.
Maui County: with the increased volume of material moved to and around Maui to help with fire recovery efforts (including mulch and imported coconut coir, mulch, or greenwaste for use in erosion control sock filler), mulch and compost for restoring burn scars, and plants for restoration, there’s an increased risk of introducing invasive species.
Hawai’i Island: To date, CRB have not been detected on Hawai’i Island. Should they arrive, they would likely spread quickly, given the low population density and plentiful habitat that could lead to challenges in detecting and eradicating the pest.

The BMPs highlight practices to prevent the spread of coconut rhinoceros beetles, but also provide general guidelines for little fire ants, coqui frogs, two-lined spittle bug, and other invasive species.

For restoration projects, the BMPs provide guidance on fire risk assessments and non-invasive characteristics for selecting plants.

For more information:

List of Best Management Practices: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/files/2023/09/BMPs-for-Invasive-Species-Prevention-091223.pdf
Christy Martin, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, christym@rocketmail.com
Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response: (808) 679-5244, info@crbhawaii.org
Island-based Invasive Species Committees: https://www.hawaiiinvasivespecies.org/
Pacific Fire Exchange: Melissa Chimera, melissa@hawaiiwildfire.org

Māmalu Poepoe Project traps and monitors invasive pests

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Lissa Strohecker

Crews from island-based invasive species committees from across the state receive training on signs of a coconut rhinoceros beetle. The training is done as part of the Mamalu Poepoe project, an interagency working group designed to increase the monitoring capacity at airports statewide. — LEYLA KAUFMAN photo

Since Polynesian times, people have unwittingly carried plants and animals with them as they traveled to Hawaiʻi. Ants and skinks were among the first of these hitchhikers inadvertently brought to the Islands. The natural barriers of isolation that prevented so many plants and animals from reaching the Islands have been wiped out.

Every day, between 25,000-30,000 people fly to Hawaiʻi from throughout the world: In 2016, 655,000 tons of air cargo and mail arrived through the airports across the state. The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture inspects much of this cargo for hitchhiking pests. But pests could slip through: species that stowaway in cargo holds, or between airline shipping containers—species inadvertently picked up at one destination and carried to another, from international airports to interisland airports.

The Māmalu Poepoe project is designed to address that puka. Māmalu means protected, Poepoe is an acronym for point of entry, point of exit – the name connotates a “lei of protection.” According to Leyla Kaufman, coordinator of the Māmalu Poepoe project, the main goal of the project is to increase monitoring capacity at the airports. “In most instances, the agencies involved have some level of monitoring going at airports, [Māmalu Poepoe] fills in any gaps.”

The seed for the project was planted in 2013: with the Hawaiʻi Department of Health so low on funding they had no capacity to trap and monitor mosquitos around the airports, then-deputy Gary Gill reached out to interagency Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council. They started planning for the Māmalu Poepoe project.

This coordinated working group leverages the expertise and manpower of multiple state agencies: primarily the Departments of Health, Transportation, and Agriculture under the umbrella of the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council. The University of Hawaiʻi provides a flexible umbrella for funding between multiple agencies.

Work occurs in the restricted access areas of 6 airports statewide: Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Hilo, and Kona. Traps and surveys are designed to target mosquitos, ants, coconut rhinoceros beetle, and honeybees. These insects are selected because they are notorious hitchhikers that have an impact on agriculture and human health. By monitoring, the Māmalu Poepoe project can better address both the interisland spread of pests as well as the introduction of species to the state. “Hawaiʻi has 6 species of mosquitos but there are hundreds out there,” says Kauffman. One of the species found on Big Island but not the rest of the state is Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that is the optimal carrier for dengue and zika, it can also transmit chikungunya and yellow fever.”

Agency specialists from the state agencies design the monitoring and survey methods, but given scarce staffing and travel funds, they rely on a crew from the island-based Invasive Species Committees to do the groundwork of checking traps and surveying for ants. Crew go through species-specific trainings (as well as background checks for security authorization) —then visit the airport every 4-6 weeks to check the swarm traps for honeybees, the lure traps for coconut rhinoceros beetles and mosquitos, or survey for ants.

“Rather than starting from scratch….It (Māmalu Poepoe Project) has allowed us to tap into much more expertise than we would have had otherwise, and is helping support a much larger network of folks working on a piece of the monitoring puzzle.”

Māmalu Poepoe project is flexible enough to fill gaps in the research: “Things have changed quite a bit since the Department of Health was monitoring for mosquitos at airports,” says Kauffman. She started a research project evaluating mosquitos to enhance trapping efforts of vector control.

In the three years from the proposed idea to actual implementation, the landscape around invasive species changed: Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle arrived in the State and the dengue outbreak triggered the legislature to restore funding for vector control. Josh Atwood, Program Supervisor of the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council feels it is a boon for the project: “Rather than starting from scratch….It has allowed us to tap into much more expertise than we would have had otherwise, and is helping support a much larger network of folks working on a piece of the monitoring puzzle.” Learn more about the project online: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/mp/

This article was originally published in the Maui News on November 12th, 2017, as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

What’s keeping invasive species out of Hawaiʻi? Inspections, programs and plans and finally, you

Coconut palms are woven into the culture of the islands; a beetle threatens that connection

Detection of Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle on Maui Highlights Importance of Community Involvement in Pest Prevention

Māmalu Poepoe Project traps and monitors invasive pests

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