Detection dogs join fight in Hawaii beetle battle

WAILUA, Hawaii (KHON2) — Detection dogs are some of the newest tools in Hawaii’s beetle battle and they are sniffing out success.

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One team recently found dozens of coconut rhinoceros beetle larvae in one spot on Kauai.

Debra Gochros with Conservation Dogs of Hawaii is used to her pups detecting endangered native birds, but she has been working since April with the Kauai Invasive Species Committee in training them to sniff out CRB larva.

She took Sadie, Luna and Xena to a known breeding ground in Wailua in late June and was interested in the behavior they exhibited.

“Their noses were high, low, over, right, to the left, You know, walking around was like they were confused, but it’s because there was so much scent,” Kauai CRB Dog Team handler Debra Gochros said. “Then, they sat and put their nose right to the ground.”

All three dogs had alerted to a pile of mulch at the base of one coconut three, where Gochros and a team from the Kauai Invasive Species Committee dug out more than 80 beetle larva.

Two adult CRB were first detected on Kauai in June, 2023 and Gochros said her finding was a bit startling.

“Yeah, it’s really, I mean, it’s yeah, it’s, I hate to say, frightening. I’ve only seen some of the damage in the coconut trees, but not around a breeding site. And I had never really seen, you know, the grubs in a natural environment,” she said.

KHON2 showed pictures of the discovery to a Hawaii Department of Agriculture official, who said catching beetles in the juvenile, vulnerable larva state is much better than when the beetles are doing damage as adults.

“It’s a really good example, an excellent tool to find and sniff out where these things are hiding,” HDOA deputy to the chairperson Dexter Kishida said. “To catch a beetle that flies is exponentially more difficult. So if we can control green waste, that is going to be the most ideal way to get them on the ground versus in a 40- or 60-foot tree.”

Officials cannot monitor every once of green waste, but the community can still do its part.

“Check the soil in your potted plants that you buy at the store, check your bags of mulch or compost, even the loads of mulch that you’re getting across the island. It’s really important to inspect those,” KISC manager Tiffani Keanini said.

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The three Kauai dogs are participating in official field trials, there is one CRB detector dog on Oahu and Debra said she hopes their success leads to similar programs in other Counties and expanded funding statewide.