Coffee berry beetle infestation expands to two more islands

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity officially approved a request to extend the designated coffee berry borer beetle-infested area to Lanai and Kauai on Tuesday.

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The designation goes into effect on Wednesday, following similar conclusions on Hawaii Island in 2010 and Oahu in 2015.

The coffee berry borer beetle (CBB) is known as the most destructive pest of coffee worldwide, infamous for drilling into coffee berries and laying 35-50 eggs within a seed.

To prevent the expansion of pests, coffee plants and seeds still require a permit for interisland travel.

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The board says Molokai remains the only island not considered infested with CBB. A disinfestation treatment, a one-year quarantine period, and a permit are still required for any movement of green coffee beans, used coffee bags, or harvesting equipment to Molokai.

Contact the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity’s Plant Quarantine Branch Acting Plant Specialist at (808) 832-0566 or email [email protected] for more information.

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