Invasive beetles return, raising questions on how to protect sineguelas

Añadido: 2026-06-04

[00:00:00]You don't have to try. Once you try this, you're going to want to try some more.

[00:00:05]>> 75-year-old Veronica Garrido walks KUAM through her Barrigada farm, where she plants an array of local favorites, from large mangoes and butter avocados to sour pickles and sweet sineguelas.

[00:00:17]>> This particular tree a few years ago before Malou it was loaded with fruit.

[00:00:26]We could not pick them fast enough.

[00:00:28]So, Segundo and who are my grandchildren who live with us Segundo especially, he calls his friends they have a plum picking party.

[00:00:39]>> Her sineguelas or Spanish plum tree taking another hit from Typhoons San Roque recently, but her frustration today is due to a smaller force of nature, the hog plum beetles.

[00:00:50]>> When you first saw the beetles, did you know what they were or >> Had no idea.

[00:00:55]But I knew they were ruining my tree.

[00:00:58]>> The hog plum beetle is a highly destructive invasive species that was first discovered on Guam in 2024. Now, two years later, they've returned with a voracious appetite, raising questions on how to protect one of Guam's most beloved fruit tree.

[00:01:13]>> See that how it floats around?

[00:01:18]I used to collect hundreds of them. Just literally pluck them off my tree.

[00:01:24]And then I take my hose and I go around and spray them.

[00:01:30]And then once they drop to the ground, I go around and I smash them.

[00:01:35]>> State entomologist and biosecurity chief Christopher Rosario says pest control has been getting more reports of the beetle from homeowners in the past month.

[00:01:44]>> My presumption is that it's it's the season this time of year, as you have already seen that the the the the new shoots, the the new leaves are coming out, especially after Typhoon San Roque.

[00:01:58]Uh uh there's a lot of new needs coming out. So, with the new leaves then you have the the insects coming out. So, >> He says research continues to manage these invasive species and encourages farmers and homeowners to keep an eye out for signs of infestations and report any sightings.

[00:02:15]>> Well, similar to what um um what this homeowner is doing here is, you know, don't give up uh and you know, do whatever it takes to to manage the pest.

[00:02:29]Um report the pest. Reporting the pest is always the best way for us to get better data.

[00:02:35]>> As for Garrido, she isn't giving up on her beloved tree. Now when her grandchildren look forward to tasting the sweet red fruit every summer.

[00:02:43]>> My grandchildren bring their friends here and the first thing they want to do is, "Grandma, can we pick?" I say, "Yes."

[00:02:49]That's what I grow these things for.

[00:02:51]It's for the kids.

[00:02:52]>> But where did these beetles come from and what's being done to stop them?

[00:02:55]Tomorrow we'll have more behind the science of the infestation and what's being done to protect Guam's fanihi guava trees. For now, I'm Mitsuki Horiyama reporting for KUAM News.