Wide-Spread
pp. 48-49 · Read in the full issue
Pest Is Now
Fiji’s War Against Rhino Beetle
SUVA, June 30.
AS Rhinoceros Beetle survey teams push further out from the Suva area, it becomes in creasingly evident that, contrary to earlier hopes, the infestation, though light, is widespread on Viti Levu.
When the Eradication Board met on June 12 it reported evidence of beetle damage up the Navua and Waidina Valleys, and at a point on the South Coast near Veivatuloa (about 13 miles airline from Suva).
During that week it was also demonstrated that present quaran tine measures against further in festation in the Suva area are in adequate. A fantastic incident occurred on Suva wharf, which shows how the beetles arrived—and still are arriving.
A stevedore was talking on the wharf to the bosun of Matua when he noticed a well-developed speci men nerched on the bosun’s cap.
The osun had just come out of a rope locker on the ship, which had come in from Apia, en route to New Zealand.
The authorities, up to now, have been working on the assumption that all would be well if hatches that had been opened at Vavau- Apia were kept closed at Suva, and only other hatches worked. The fact, however, is that beetles may hide in any part of the ship’s living
accommodation, ventilators, store rooms, etc.
The Board announced at its June 12 meeting that, as the infestation on Viti Levu is widespread, no useful purpose can now be served in continuing the vehicle inspec tions at Nausori and Navua bridges.
'lnspections now will be confined to vessels and aircraft leaving Viti Levu for other parts of the Group.
The original plan to destroy □reeding places will have to be abandoned, as being impracticable over a very wide area which in cludes extensive forest. A revised □lan of campaign will now be con sidered.
The Board recommends that "egulations be enacted to restrict :he shipment of plants, etc., from Viti Levu to other islands, to per mits only. The possibility of divert ing much of the outer islands’ ship ping trade to Levuka instead of Suva is under consideration, as, ulthough likely hiding-places can be examined on a vessel, there must remain many inaccessible parts vhere a beetle may hide. Mean vhile, an additional shipping in ipector will be appointed for Suva.
Although nearly all of the 1670 jredatory beetles received from rrinidad have been liberated as a counter to the Rhinoceros Beetle, it vas not yet known for certain vhether these will actually attack he Rhinoceros larvae, though it is irobable that they will. In any case, he Trinidad beetles can do no harm.
Experiments are continuing, the Joard reported, with an insecticide rtiich is lethal at the larval stage, f successful, this presumably will ie used as a spray in plantations.
Beetle survey teams found beetle lamage in the Sigatoka Valley, 60 [files west of Suva, late in June.
To date, 55 adult bettles have been ound in Fiji—2o in compost heaps, 3 on palms, 8 in dead coconut or ago palms, 6 on the ground, 3 in ead logs, 3 attracted to bright ights, 1 in a ship—and one on a osun’s cap on the Suva wharf.