KONA (HawaiiNewsNow) – A helicopter will conduct a low-altitude flight next Tuesday to help survey palms to locate evidence of coconut rhinoceros beetles (CRB).
The Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) will conduct the flight in partnership with the Spatial Data and Visualization (SDAV) Lab at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and the County of Hawaii.
The flight will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 14, over the Kona Palisades area and surrounding communities.
BIISC said the helicopter will search for palm damage that can be analyzed for evidence of CRB and also search for evidence of CRB breeding sites.
Currently, these palm surveys are conducted from roadsides using binoculars only which limits visibility to palms that can be seen from public access points. The aerial imaging will allow for better identification of potential problem sites and improved prioritization of follow-up inspections.
So far, 123 beetles have been found on Hawaii Island, with the majority located in North Kona.
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