Public urged to be more wary on beetles
Beetle varieties in the Solomons.
A biosecurity officer has urged the public to be careful when transporting goods and materials to the provinces to prevent the spread of harmful pests.
Honiara biosecurity officer Nester Pokana said, public ignorance was contributing to the spread of the rhinoceros beetle.
Ms Pokana said people should have goods inspected by biosecurity officers in Honiara before taking them to the provinces.
She said the rhinoceros beetle had already reached four provinces in the country and may continue to spread if people do not go through inspections with the biosecurity division.
Ms Pokana said one recent example of this is the sighting of the beetle in North Malaita.
“We also contribute to the spread of such pests by transporting things that may contain its eggs or lava inside,” she said.
“Things such as plants and sawdust are some of the common stuffs that the can host the beetle’s eggs.”
The beetle may have been transported from Honiara to Malaita inside bags of sawdust meant to be used as mulch on a melon farm.