Hawaii
Virus to fight coconut rhinoceros beetle shows promising results – West Hawaii Today
Every other day inside a lab on the third floor of the St. John Plant Science Laboratory building on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus, doctoral student Kristen Gaines opens up a refrigerator full of beetle larvae, hoping to find them dead.
“When I see a dead one, it’s still pretty gratifying,” she said.
Gaines is a research assistant investigating a virus to kill the coconut rhinoceros beetle, also referred to as CRB, which is decimating Oahu’s coconut and palm trees. After years of trying to eradicate the beetle, the problem has grown to a full infestation, with thousands of trees dead because of the pest.
The virus Gaines is testing is a variant of the oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus, referred to as OrNV, which was discovered in the 1960s by German scientist Dr. Alois Huger, according to a 2022 report by researchers from New Zealand and Samoa. The virus, which Huger isolated after he killed healthy beetles by feeding them ones that had died of the virus, was the first time Samoa was able to successfully manage the pest after its introduction in 1910 from a Sri Lanka cargo vessel.
Preliminary results from her testing are promising, Gaines said. She’s observed larvae die after contracting the virus both by injection and naturally from deceased larvae. Most recently, she said, three out of four larvae died after she placed them inside a bin with a dead infected specimen.
Lack of testing facilities
Several East Asian and Pacific island nations have used the virus or variations of it to manage CRB for decades. While there is plenty of research that confirms the virus’ efficacy against the pest, there has been little research on how the virus may affect native beetles, such as the Kauai stag beetle, according to UH principal researcher Michael Melzer.
Other island chains that used the virus against CRB had economies more dependent on palm oil where the potential benefits of releasing the virus outweigh the risks or did not have native insects to worry about, Melzer said. The virus is host-specific, meaning it doesn’t mutate to infect other types of creatures, so the main concern is its effect on native beetles and similar insects.
Despite the beetle arriving in Hawaii in 2013, the state did not receive a permit to test the virus until April due to the lack of facilities where the tests could be safely administered and contained, said Jonathan Ho, plant quarantine branch manager for the state Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.
He said the CRB invasion on Oahu reached the point where it was “all over the place,” and it wasn’t feasible to spray or inject every coconut tree on the island and properly dispose of all the green waste.
“At that point, at the landscape level, biocontrol was the only real realistic solution to mitigate the threat of CRB,” Ho said. “We weren’t going to spray or treat our way out of it.”
He added that despite its efficacy elsewhere in the Pacific, adequate testing is crucial to protect Hawaii’s environment and ensure the right virus strain is being utilized.
Melzer said federal funding the state received to respond to the CRB threat changed from an eradication focus to containment around 2020, ultimately leading to the development of the containment lab and procedures in order to score a federal permit to import the virus and begin testing on larvae.
A near ‘eureka’ moment
The entry to the colony lab, where Tomie Vowell, a member of the research support team, rears beetles for experiments on request, is a secure, pitch-black room that serves as a bridge between the lab and the hallway.
If a beetle were to escape — one never has, according to Melzer — it would get confused in the darkness. A single light in the corner would be turned on to attract the beetle so it could be recaptured.
“We basically just don’t want that virus leaving the lab, because we don’t know what impact it might have on both native or beneficial insects in Hawaii,” Melzer said.
From the dark room is a door that leads to the lab, where there are four locked refrigerators with beetles at different life stages in various labeled containers.
CRB eggs resemble small white balls. Once hatched, the tiny, pale grubs grow up to 2-1/2-inches long with a strong, black exoskeleton adorned with a rhinoceros-like horn and fuzzy underbelly. Their natural life cycle from grub to adult is typically a year, Vowell said.
Melzer traveled to Palau to get the virus strain the island nation had used successfully to combat the beetle, and brought it back to Hawaii.
In a separate lab, Gaines dresses in full protective gear before injecting the virus into CRB larvae. The infected larvae become lethargic as their gut becomes inflamed.
Gaines said the first time she suspected a larva exhibiting symptoms had died of the virus, it was “not quite a eureka moment, but close to it.”
It can take two to four weeks for larvae to succumb to the virus, Melzer said, while infected adults live longer but ultimately become too lethargic to eat and starve to death.
He said the virus is effective because the beetles live long enough to spread the infection to others but in the end die themselves within weeks.
‘It’s already too late’
If everything goes to plan, Melzer estimates the virus could possibly be released into the wild within two years. Ho said the timeline is dependent on state and federal regulatory processes.
For some landscapers, the window for effective CRB containment has long closed.
“It just sucks because there’s a lot that could be done,” said Brent White, owner of Lush Palm Landscapes. “Maybe you should just let that thing (the virus) go out now and kill the beetles. It’s already too late. The North Shore is already gone. All the trees on the North Shore are going to be cut down pretty soon, they’re all going to be gone. There’s no saving it now — sorry, too late — which is really sad.”
White said he’s turned to treating his palm trees nightly with essential oils, which has helped keep his trees alive, but takes a lot of labor.
“It’s still so hard,” he said. “The minute you stop treating, the beetles come back and attack the tree. It’s just really sad that it’s growing out of control and there wasn’t proper mitigation methods in the beginning to stop it from happening.”
Chance Correa, owner of Malama Aina Landscape and Masonry Design, and Daniel Anthony, founder of nonprofits Hui Aloha ‘Aina Momona and Aloha Organic, agree.
The two employ Korean organic farming techniques to combat the beetle.
“In two to four years, we could lose every coconut tree,” Correa said. “There might not be coconuts to farm. It’s that bad.”
Aloha Organic uses a sulfur mixture to deter the beetle, Anthony said, along with nutrients to feed the trees.
“We noticed that the healthier your tree was, the more resilient it was to the beetle,” he said.
Anecdotally, Anthony’s methods have worked. During a visit Thursday, the residential property he’s been treating monthly in Kaaawa had plenty of coconuts in its trees, while a next-door neighbor’s trees showed evidence of beetle damage.
For both Correa and Anthony, coconuts are part of their culture that helped their ancestors survive for centuries.
“It’s life or death for us, for our culture, for our community,” Anthony said.
The two also share concerns about the long-term effects of chemical use on the trees and the fruit they produce.
More testing planned
Existing recommendations from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to combat CRB include chemicals, organic options such as fungi and physical barriers such as netting. Ho said that while he has not heard of sulfur successfully deterring the beetle and it hasn’t been formally studied, any organic option that can be replicated would be welcome.
Basal oil is another organic option to repel beetles, according to the agency’s website.
Ho said the process for a pesticide to get approval for use against CRB does not necessarily require the same type of rigorous testing on its effects on native species that a bio-agent such as the virus does. But, he explained, both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state have labeling processes for use as a pesticide.
He added that the chemicals listed on the agriculture department’s website are labeled as being usable and then tested by either UH or a survey response to test efficacy.
Other than treating palm trees, Ho said the best way to manage CRB until a successful bio-agent is approved is to manage green waste and prevent breeding.
In the meantime, Melzer and Gaines plan to begin testing the virus against native species and potentially bring in a different strain from another affected area to build a virus “library.”
Melzer said he also hopes to get a permit to test on adult beetles, which so far has not been approved due to the risk of the winged insects escaping by flight.
“We rear CRB for research purposes and we’ve never lost an adult out of there,” he said. “We’re hoping to convince them that we’re never going to lose an adult over here.”
If a permit is not obtained, Melzer said, UH will have to look at better bio-containment facilities so it can finish the testing process.
“Everyone recognizes how important it is that we have these facilities, not even just for CRB, but for other things in the future,” he said. “CRB will not be the last impactful invasive species in Hawaii.”
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – If you grew up in Hawaii, a visit to your local Crackseed shop is likely a core childhood memory.
Let’s go holoholo to one of the oldest shops in Honolulu, Kay’s Crackseed.
Any time Lanette Mahelona of Kaneohe is in Manoa, a stop at Kay’s Crackseed is a must!
“I stop by here, and I always grab two pounds of this seedless creamy ume because it’s hard to find on our end of the island, Kaneohe,” said Mahelona.
Kay’s Crackseed sits in a four-hundred-square-foot shop at Manoa Marketplace.
The original owner, Kay, opened the shop in 1978 and ran it for 18 years.
Mei Chang now runs the shop. Her family took it over in 1996. They’ve been selling an assortment of crack seed and products, which Mei says is a healthy snack in the eyes of the Chinese.
“Yeah, so like the ginger, the Chinese always say it’s Chinese medicine, so they help your motion sickness, the stomach, and even the kumquat,” said Chang. “It’s like honey lime ball, if you catch a cold, sore throat, they help a lot.”
Customers are encouraged to sample the different treats.
Now working in a crack seed shop isn’t anything new for Chang.
She said these kinds of shops are in common in Taiwan that her grandparents used to sell different kinds of li hing mui.
Chang lived right above her grandparents’ shop and was in the second grade when she started helping them with the business.
“Every day when I finish school first thing open a jar,” said Chang. “I really like the football seed, so every day I eat a football seed for my snack.”
And talk about a full circle moment, her daughter would also help around the Manoa shop.
Through Kay’s Crackseed, Chang hopes to carry on traditional recipes she learned from her grandparents.
“Crack seed for us is not only the snack, but it’s like childhood memory, yeah, the happiness, so we try to keep doing the tradition. So, all the juice we make here is from our grandpa and grandma’s recipe,” said Chang. “So, a special yeah, secret sauce, so we have some customers that live far away, the other side of the island, drive so far to come here to get the li hing one. The wet li hing mui, the rock salt palm, is really popular.”
“The li hing mui ones are not as sweet, sweet as other places, and it’s soft,” said Crystal Kaluna of Kauai.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Kolekole Pass is officially allowed to be used as an evacuation route in the event of an emergency on West Oahu.
U.S. military and civilian officials signed an updated official memorandum of understanding Wednesday, opening Kolekole Pass for emergency use.
The first document was signed just prior to July 29, 2025, when Hawaii faced a tsunami warning, and the pass was opened for West Oahu residents to evacuate.
Nearly 500 vehicles made their way through the pass that day as many evacuated the Leeward Coast, officials said.
Maj. Gen. James Batholomees, U.S. Army Commander, Hawaii, was joined by his counterparts from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and the state Department of Transportation officers for Wednesday’s signing.
Batholomees said he took command the day before the tsunami warning.
“The next day, the first order that I had the blessing of giving was in conjunction with the Navy opening the pass during the tsunami,” he said.
Kupuna from the Leeward Coast also attended the signing, saying they were happy for a much-needed secondary route in the event that Farrington Highway is shut down.
Leeward Coast resident William Aila recalled when Farrington Highway was closed for 11 days due to Hurricane Iwa in 1982.
“We need an opportunity to bring in first aid, to bring in food, and to bring in other emergency supplies,” said Aila.
Officials say they are committed to conducting a mass evacuation rehearsal using Kolekole Pass every year.
Ed Sniffen, director of the state Department of Transportation, said it’s the key to a successful activation to use the route.
“The road is safe,” said Sniffen. “When we rode through this, and we did this twice with large operations, the road is safe.”
He added, “That being said, there are improvements that we still want to make.”
HDOT continues to work with the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy on upgrading the roadway, which may total $20 million in improvements.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
If you’ve driven Hana Highway recently, as we have, tried to wedge your rental car onto the shoulder at Honolua Bay, inched along North Shore behind an hours-long nonstop line of brake lights, or followed a social media pin taking you to Hoopii Falls, Hawaii just put those exact places into specific future plans.
The state updated plans naming specific beaches, roads, trails, and bays where visitor pressure is highest and outlining what officials say could change at each. The first round of these (DMAPs) leaned heavily on broader goals and community meetings. The latest version, however, now lists the individual sites and attaches proposed actions. These are among the most in-demand places people build into their trips, not some policy abstractions.
Before assuming your next trip will look dramatically different, one basic reality is worth noting. The Hawaii Tourism Authority does not manage the roads, trails, bays, or neighborhoods in question, so the counties, DLNR, Hawaiian Home Lands, and private landowners will be needed to carry out most of what has just been described. In almost every case, the first year at least is focused on more studies, coordination, and setting up of what might come next.
Maui: Hana and Honolua finally get specific plans.
Maui’s plan centers squarely on the iconic Hana Highway, with six of the island’s nine site-specific actions targeting that single corridor.
The ideas are relatively straightforward. Paid community stewards at high-traffic stops such as Keanae Peninsula, a first-of-its-kind Hawaii tour guide certification program requiring culturally accurate mo’olelo (storytelling), safety guidance, and place-based knowledge instead of loosely scripted commentary, together with clearer signage identifying safe and legal pullouts while reminding drivers to let residents pass instead of backing up traffic for visitor photo opportunities.
At Bamboo Forest off Hana Highway, the plan addresses repeated trespassing onto private land. There have been 35 rescues there over the past decade, most requiring use of emergency helicopters. The proposal calls for signage clearly indicating no access. But because that land is privately owned, any real restriction there depends on the owner’s full cooperation.
Honolua Bay carries perhaps the boldest concept of all in the statewide package of suggested changes, including a reservation and shuttle system to eliminate illegal roadside parking, a cultural trail staffed by stewards before visitors ever reach the water, and water stewards who will be paddling out to orient snorkel boat passengers. No procurement process has started, and no shuttle contract exists, so the idea remains on paper for now. Kaupo, where a recently paved road has attracted more traffic and complaints, would also get sensor-linked warning signs at blind hills to focus on driving safety.
Big Island: Kealakekua Bay may see closings.
Kealakekua Bay is the main headline site here, as might be expected. The draft introduces the possibility of “rest days” during coral spawning or other sensitive periods, coordinated by the DLNR, when the bay would be closed to visitors. It is still a concept and would require coordination beyond HTA.
At Keaukaha near Hilo, cruise ship impacts drive the conversation ideas, and the community has pushed for a permanent role in shaping how visitor flow is handled around the port. A steward program piloted in 2023 is now being formalized rather than remaining as a short-term experiment.
South Point, or Ka Lae, sits on Hawaiian Home Lands, so the state’s role here is to support the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ existing plan rather than create a new one from scratch. Hilo itself is described as needing more visitor activity even as other Big Island sites seek to manage crowding.
Oahu: North Shore, pillboxes, and parking reality.
On Oahu, it’s the iconic North Shore that anchors the plan. Five sequenced actions are listed, but the first year focuses on studies, coordination, and groundwork.
There is no shuttle system scheduled for immediate rollout and no reservation platform ready to launch. During the public webinar, officials said any fees would be site-specific and pointed to the extremely limited parking infrastructure as a major constraint.
Lanikai Pillboxes and Maili Pillbox are cited as trails that have seen steep increases in use due to social media exposure. Lanikai already has daytime parking restrictions on residential streets between 10 am and 4 pm, and Maili has experienced a recent fatality. The plan for Lanikai is to evaluate managed access, while for Maili, it begins with determining who is responsible for the trail and what authority exists in order to manage it.
Downtown Honolulu appears in the draft as a future walkable corridor linking Iolani Palace, Honolulu Hale, and nearby historic sites and shops.
Kauai: this waterfall became a neighborhood fight.
Hoopii Falls in Kapaa has become one of the most tense sites in the statewide plans. What was once a local waterfall became a high-traffic destination after intense social media exposure. The trail crosses private, lease, and state lands and is not formally maintained, and residents have placed rocks and tree stumps at neighborhood access points to slow or block visitor flow. The plan’s near-term focus is to gather more data and bring landowners together to clarify jurisdiction and what can legally be done before any formal access system is devised.
The Kapaa Crawl along Kuhio Highway is listed as a priority, but the proposed response, which is a shuttle and visitor hub concept centered on Coconut Marketplace, has no funding, no operator, and no timeline.
Kokee and Waimea Canyon are also included. Two of four proposed actions are already deferred beyond the first funding year, and the near-term steps focus has moved to installing visitor counters and studying whether a reservation system would be feasible.
What changes on your next trip.
Across all four islands, social media is repeatedly cited as a significant accelerant, turning lesser-known spots into must-see stops almost overnight. And in that regard, there is no end in sight.
There are no additional statewide fees attached to these newly identified sites, no disclosed budgets for even the most ambitious concepts, and HTA does not gain or lose any new enforcement authority through these drafts.
If you are visiting in the coming months, you are unlikely to encounter reservation systems at Honolua Bay, formalized rest-day closures at Kealakekua, shuttles operating on the North Shore, or state-managed access changes at Ho’opi’i. Most of what is described for year one is groundwork.
You can review the full island-by-island drafts here: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/what-we-do/destination-management-action-plans/
Do these plans go far enough or too far at the sites you know best? Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
A Character-Rich Family Home in Connecticut That Bridges Past and Present
Delaware Officials Highlight DTRN360, Innovative Behavioral Health Care Coordination Platform – State of Delaware News
Florida college Republicans group chat reveals racist texts: ‘Avoid the coloreds like the plague’
Amid tariff and trade confusion, Georgia posted record exports in 2025
Kay’s Crackseed: The Manoa shop preserving Hawaii’s favorite childhood snack
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Map: 4.9-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Louisiana
Paxton vows he’s ‘staying in this race’ even if Trump backs Cornyn in Texas GOP clash
Which Kurdish groups is the US rallying to fight Iran?
Man accused of plot to assassinate Trump testifies Iran pressured him, says Biden and Haley were other possible targets
DHS defends McLaughlin against allegations husband’s company profited millions from ad contracts: ‘Baseless’
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Wisconsin4 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Maryland5 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida5 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Oregon6 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling