Kapuaiwa Coconut Grove on Molokai has long been held as a sacred place for Native Hawaiian residents. But now a devastating pest known as the coconut mite is threatening to destroy the historic site. Eileen Chao has more from The Maui News.
Planted along the coastline by King Kamehameha the fifth in the 1860s, Kapuaiwa is home to hundreds of coconut trees. Some are more than 150 years old. But experts recently discovered the presence of coconut mites, which are considered one of the worst arthropod pests of coconut palm. The mites create deep cracks and scars in infected trees…causing young coconuts to drop to the ground before they've fully matured. Experts say this is the first time the mites have been found on Molokai. They were first detected on Maui in 1991, and have since spread to Oahu. Because they are so small, they are easily carried by wind, insects or birds.
Molokai residents say they've been trying to get the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, which oversees the area, to clean it up for the last four or five years. They say the 10-acre grove was once well-kept, but has fallen into disarray due to staffing shortages. The department only has one staff member stationed on Molokai, and he is in charge of all DHHL properties that span the island. Department officials say they are committed to working with the community and other county and state agencies to address the infestation at Kapuaiwa before it spreads to other areas.
