Coconut beetle a threat to Belize?s trees

They look like the kind of things they force contestants to eat on “Survivor” or “Fear Factor”. But these unappetizing creatures, brought to you by viewers near Northern Lagoon, are part of the reason Belize is rapidly losing its coconut trees. Around three inches long, they are the larval stage of the coconut beetle. As an adult, the female beetle burrows several inches into the coconut tree where she lays eggs. The eggs then grow into larvae where they may live for several years eating away at the inside of the tree, eventually killing it, before emerging as an adult to repeat the cycle in another tree. According to Manuel Trujillo, National Crop Coordinator in the Ministry of Agriculture, the beetle can be controlled using a system of insecticide traps and by carefully burning the remains of infected trees. For details on how to implement the treatment, viewers can call the ministry’s Central Farm research station at 824-2131. Damage caused by the coconut beetle should not be confused with that done by the bacterial disease known as lethal yellowing. Lethal yellowing is responsible for the majority of tree losses in Belize and is almost one hundred percent fatal for traditional local tall varieties. Dwarfs, however, are highly resistant as are the hybrid Mayan palms. Replanting as early as possible with these species is about the only way to fight the disease.