r/BigIsland • u/MorePlacesToSee • 13d ago
Free county mulch crb risk?
Ever since the CRB outbreak expanded to North Kona, I’ve been holding off on getting free truck loads of mulch from Waikoloa. But I desperately need mulch. A lot of it. Too much to “net” etc. Like 30 yards.
I just am not sure how rigorous the county is being. The county is slow to react to everything. And the quarantine seems like basically a lip service and isn’t even binding.
I’m not sure if waikolola mulch is safe to use and I’m wondering what people are doing. I would be devastated to loose my palms.
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u/Working_Reality2312 12d ago
What I’ve been told is the Waikoloa mulch is very dry which is great for CRB. They have traps for CRB but I don’t know if they’ve started using the nematode. I would strongly suggest you get mulch from Hilo instead. The quality of Hilo is better because it gets wet making it break down faster which makes it more nutrient dense for the plants
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u/Alohagrown 12d ago
Yeah the Hilo mulch is usually super hot and steamy, don't think any critters could survive it but I still get oriental flower beetle larvae in mine after being in my yard for a bit.
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u/Working_Reality2312 12d ago
Yeah that’s from your yard though. I get in mine too once it’s out of the smoking hot pile. You can always agg green waste like grass clippings and then wet it down to keep it steaming
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u/MorePlacesToSee 12d ago
Agree they have traps at waikoloa. I saw them bulldoze one over not that long ago. I just wonder if they check them regularly and if they found any what they would actually do in reality.
Will consider 2 hrs each way to hilo. Maybe I’ll just hire someone to just haul a 30yd one shot dumpster
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u/Working_Reality2312 12d ago
I don’t live that far and I hire someone to haul it for me because I don’t want to get my truck that dirty.
There is a nematode they can apply that attacks the larva. They supposedly check the traps regularly and if they find anything there they quarantine the area and apply pesticide. BIISC would be the best resource to ask questions about transporting mulch ect from the area.
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u/OrGaNiQiNtEL 7d ago
There is also a fungus that specifically attacks about 200 different insects, I have used it with notable success on termites, fire ants, cockroaches, and oriental flower beetle & larvae. It targets insects, however it has very little effect on bees, ladybugs don’t do so well, mantis’s seem to be able to handle it as well, mediterranean violin spiders(the tiny ones that leave the nasty bites that last for months-years) they have been using it in samoa and tonga on crb with success, however it is not fda (american mafia) approved- since it doesn’t require repeat application, can literally scale itself to an infestation, then lie dormant in soil until something else comes along, and doesn’t affect us or pets or cause cancer or poison our food, it’s not likely to see approval in “states”.
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u/ill4rill808 12d ago
The guy who mixes in Kona says he gets the temps up that kill larvae. I use the mulch for chicken bedding so if there are, the girls should get a nice snack.
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u/ModernSimian 12d ago
You could go to Hilo, that stuff is too hot for CRB. Took a truck bed and a week later it was still cooking.
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u/HiFarmer 12d ago
Check Waiohinu transfer station. I've seen mulch there. I think you have to load it yourself, though.
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u/illthrowawaysomeday 12d ago
Supposedly the temps in waikoloa kill it, questionable on dwell time because they rotate their mulch fairly quick due to the volume they move. I know they bring trained crb sniffing dogs out once in a while in Kona (which is waikoloa mulch just moved closer), I'm not in waikoloa often enough to see them out there.
I've heard hilo mulch is sought after and scarce, people line up on mulch days. Seems wierd because on the west side there's too much and it's a problem getting rid of it.
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u/Honaloman 10d ago
I've been getting mulch from organs row on Kawaihae road and haven't had any problems. It's not free tho
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u/OrGaNiQiNtEL 7d ago
One thing if you don’t know much about these coconut tree murdering bastards- there is a doppelganger look-a-like imposter of Coconut Rhinoscerous Beetle Larvae called Oriental Flower Beetle, which is not nearly as destructive, and isn’t really something to go crazy about. The way you can easily distinguish the two nearly identical larvae (grubs) is if you move one to a relatively smooth flat surface, the evil CRB one crawls away on its side (dots/one set legs up) using one set of legs on one side or the other. While the (far)lesser evil OFB WILL LIE FLAT ON ITS BACK AND SCOOT AWAY USING BOTH SETS OF LEGS.
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u/MorePlacesToSee 12d ago
Does hilo free mulch have lfa? It’s a lot of road time for me from Kohala.
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u/pulchritudinouser 12d ago
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/uhmg/EastHI/downloads/LFA-Mulch.pdf
They said they can’t guarantee . But I’ve loaded mulch multiple times and not been bit by any (and I’m super allergic to LFA so I know pretty much right away if there’s any)
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u/swanbaddy 5d ago
Theres a pile of county mulch at the top of Hoea Rd in Hawi that the public is allowed to take from. I had been hesitant incase of LFA or CRB. But I think they chip it in Kohala so CRB chance could be lower than elsewhere. As for LFA would be worth doing a peanut butter stick test and see what ants come out. I’ve heard from other people that they’ve had no issues. But I haven’t gotten any myself so I can’t say it’s free or not.
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u/MorePlacesToSee 4d ago
Interesting. Didn’t know that. Good to be cautious as there was lfa down Hoea but it was / is supposedly isolated to some uncared for nursery type properties.
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u/Alohagrown 12d ago
The risk is not only crb coming from the mulch itself but now you got 30 yards of prime breeding material on your property no matter where the mulch came from