Beetle outbreak on Rota is contained

Seven months after the onslaught of Typhoon Mangkhut and Super Typhoon Yutu, the Department of Lands and Natural Resource has declared that it has already contained the outbreak of coconut rhinoceros beetles on Rota.

Both Mangkhut and Yutu left the island of Rota vulnerable because many of the rhinoceros beetle traps had been blown away or destroyed. But, fortunately, according to DLNR Secretary Toni Benavente, the department was able to contain the outbreak and has installed more traps on Rota.

After Mangkhut and Yutu passed, DLNR staff went to check on the rhino beetle trap perimeter at the Tweksberry Farm—where the outbreak was first reported—and many of the traps were gone, Benavente said.

DLNR studied the area and nearby areas and found one spot where rhino beetle relocated to and established a nesting and breeding ground.

“Some [traps] were destroyed, but they were put back in place and there were also more traps placed in those areas past the perimeter. Somehow, they (rhino beetle) flew past the perimeter and they landed in the neighboring area. They did find a breeding ground there. Luckily, they [DLNR staff] found it and secured it and collected all the larvae and all that.

“We’re still monitoring [and] we’re putting a lot of traps there,” he said.

Since the re-installation of traps, Benavente said DNLR is back to its previous cycle where they catch one or two beetles a month.

“It’s very minimal but we still need to work harder and make sure we eradicate them permanently. It’s a task [that] we still need to continue. Hopefully, we will have funding and we will continue to ask for funding,” Benavente added.

As far as Saipan and Tinian, despite the entry of cargo ships and planes that came in during the Super Typhoon Yutu recovery period, DLNR quarantine staff has remained vigilant in ensuring no invasive species enter the islands.

“We have a very good supporting staff at Quarantine, both at the seaport and the airport, and we try to make sure that invasive species do not come into our islands.

“In terms of the containers, we were really monitoring shipments, be it foreign or U.S., and we made sure to do inspections.

“When we would open them up and we know there’s insects or bugs, we close them immediately, do a fumigation process to kill all the insects, and from there on, we can clear whatever is in there,” Benavente explained.

Benavente wants to ensure the community that DLNR continues to protect the CNMI from invasive species.