O_(Alt) COCONUT RHINOCEROS BEETLE (CRB) AND LITTL FIRE ANT (LFA) MANAGEMENT PROCEDU.pdf

Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) and Little Fire Ant (LFA)

Management Procedures (Ver4. Revised 08.02.2021)

BACKGROUND

Green waste has the potential to harbor and spread invasive species around Guam and increases the potential of dispersing invasive species to other islands within Guam’s transportation network. The green waste management procedures identified below are an important step in regional biosecurity.

Little Fire Ant

Little Fire Ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) (LFA), originally from Central and South America, has spread throughout tropical regions over the last 100 years and was discovered in Guam in 2011. Since its discovery in northern Guam, LFA has been confirmed in at least 28 additional locations all over Guam.

LFA disperse slowly on their own but can be spread rapidly by people who inadvertently move them on yard waste, recycled goods or garbage. LFA have multiple queens that mate within or near the parent colony, where fertilized queens spread on foot nearby with a few workers. These new nests remain connected with the parent colony where food gathering and defenses are shared, resulting in large

“supercolonies.” LFA nest in the ground up to the canopy. These supercolonies are constantly producing new queens and workers, so colonies can remain viable even after the loss of some workers or queens.

LFA will prey on insects, invertebrates, small vertebrates, will attack larger wildlife, cause blindness in pets and painful stings to people. Implementing early detection surveys as part of green waste management during DPRI projects that involve vegetation clearing or landscaping will reduce and minimize the occurrence and potential ecological, economic, safety and health risks associated with LFA.

Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle

The coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) is a pest of palm trees, including: coconut, betel nut, and pandanus.

It is also known to attack banana, taro, pineapple, sugar cane and other plants. The adults damage palms by boring into the center of the crown and feeding on the sap and developing leaves, creating V-shaped cuts in the fronds. The boring into the palms is often lethal. Immature stages (eggs, grubs, pupae) are found in dead coconuts and piles of rotting vegetation. Most recent research (Moore et.al, 2015) found

CRB at all life stages in the crowns of selected palms. Although CRB are established on Guam island-wide, a multi-faceted control effort on Guam and emphasis on preventing CRB from invading neighboring islands and Hawaii is a high priority. Therefore, limiting the breeding sites is critical during green waste management.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall notify the Construction Management Engineer (CME) and Marine Corps Base Camp

Blaz EV (MCBCB-EV) Biosecurity Program Manager/ Government Biomonitor at least two weeks prior to scheduled vegetation removal. No vegetation removal/clearing will be conducted without prior

Government approval.

1) The Contractor’s Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan will include CRB and

LFA Management Procedures.

2) The Contractor will maintain a clean work site that is subject to review and inspection by the

Government Biological Monitor. Vegetation debris left on site that is not mulched or properly managed could facilitate infestations of CRB, LFA, or other species.

3) No green waste from outside Department of Defense property is allowed to be processed in conjunction with the green waste generated by Defense Policy Review Initiative

Environmental Office (DPRI) construction projects.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

LFA Procedures:

Step 1. Vegetated areas that will be cleared and mulch stockpile surveys

The following methods shall be applied to this step:

a. The Contractor shall survey (test) green waste stockpiles for LFA at least twice before final disposition within the project footprint. LFA survey options are as follows:

i. Survey 1: LFA survey shall be conducted prior to vegetation clearing in high risk areas.

High risk areas include vegetation adjacent to known LFA infestations. The Government is responsible for notifying the Contractor of these high risk areas. The Contractor shall notify the Government Biomonitor and Biosecurity Program Manager if positive test results are observed prior to proceeding with any vegetation clearing within these areas.

1. Green waste and solid waste from known LFA infested areas will be processed separately at a Government approved site. Equipment used to handle material will be washed down at a designated temporary

HACCP wash down station prior to exiting the known LFA area.

2. Proceed directly to Step 2.

ii. Survey 2: LFA survey shall be conducted 30-45 days following processing of green waste to mulch at the designated Green Waste Processing Area (GWPA). (In accordance with

Step1, a., iii., a.)

iii. Survey 3: LFA survey shall be conducted no more than two weeks prior to final disposition of processed green waste, such as: mulch or cured compost (LFA Fact Sheet

7 Little Fire Ants and Mulch, https://littlefireants.com/wp-content/uploads/07-LFA-Fact-

Sheet_v7.2_Jul-2017-min.pdf).

a) The Contractor shall survey around the edge of the stockpile by taking bait lures

(chopsticks or 60cc vials (Biolab or similar) and smearing them with a very thin layer of peanut butter on half the stick or inside the vial), and place them around the pile every 10 feet. LFA prefer cool shaded areas, ensure the sticks or vials are covered by old leaves, piece of cardboard, etc. Surveys shall be conducted in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the higher temperatures of mid-day. Leave the bait lures in place for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than one hour before picking up to examine. If LFA are in the mulch pile they will be present on the bait lure. LFA are very small, less than 3mm or 1/8th inch long, uniformly orange color and are slow in movement. (How to identify LFA, https://littlefireants.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Identify-LFA-Field-and-

Microscope-Guide_18May20.pdf).

b) If an LFA survey is suspected to be positive the Contractor shall bring the suspected specimen to the University of Guam (UOG) Extension Service for positive identification.

c) The Contractor shall notify the Government Biomonitor and Biosecurity Program

Manager when turning in a specimen to the UOG Extension Service for identification.

d) If UOG Extension Service positively identifies the LFA specimen, then the

Contractor shall notify Government Biomonitor and Biosecurity Program Manager immediately.

e) Step 2 below shall be applied within 24 hours of positive identification.

f) The Contractor shall provide all green waste LFA survey results monthly to

Government Biomonitor.

https://littlefireants.com/wp-content/uploads/07-LFA-Fact-Sheet_v7.2_Jul-2017-min.pdf https://littlefireants.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Identify-LFA-Field-and-Microscope-Guide_18May20.pdf https://littlefireants.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Identify-LFA-Field-and-Microscope-Guide_18May20.pdf

Step 2. Quarantine and treatment of LFA positive stockpiles

The following methods shall be applied to this step:

a. Quarantine green/solid waste stockpile.

i. The green/solid waste shall be left in place and low-hanging vegetation that is within the

3m isolation buffer around the LFA positive stockpile shall be cut and added to the pile to ensure no further spread occurs to surrounding areas, unless low hanging vegetation and buffer is outside of the project footprint. Cutting vegetation outside of the project footprint is not authorized. Government Biomonitor shall be contacted to address alternative options in the case of conflicting circumstances.

ii. Allow the greatest amount of sunlight exposure to stockpile (i.e. remove any obstructions, overhead or adjacent to the stockpile for maximum sun exposure).

iii. Place high visibility rope/flagging around LFA positive stockpile including a 3m isolation buffer with signs that warn personnel on site of LFA presence and treatment.

iv. Provide GPS location and stockpile size to the Government Biomonitor and Biosecurity

Program Manager.

v. No additional vegetation shall be added to the stockpile that is not within the 3m isolation buffer.

vi. Provide specific HACCP training to workers managing the quarantine stockpile.

vii. Immediately apply, according to label instructions, a barrier pesticide around the outside of the isolated green/solid waste pile to prevent spread to areas beyond the pile.

b. Treatment of Stockpile

i. Treatment of stockpiles are to include procedures outlined in the Hawai’i Ant Lab website

(LFA Fact Sheet 7, https://littlefireants.com/wp-content/uploads/07-LFA-Fact-

Sheet_v7.2_Jul-2017-min.pdf). Bait applications will be applied over and around the pile at least 4 times at 4-6 week intervals.

ii. The Contractor shall report all chemical usage on the NAVFAC Online Pesticide

Reporting System (NOPRS) and shall follow all EPA labeling requirements/instructions.

The Contractor shall be in possession of all permits and/or certifications necessary to conduct the activities stipulated for eradication of LFA.

iii. Treatment plans shall be submitted to the Government no later than two weeks after positive identification of LFA.

iv. Once the treatment period is complete, the Contractor shall survey the whole mulch pile again, as described above (In accordance with Step1,a.,iii.,a.) to ensure LFA have been eradicated. Treatment of stockpile (Step 2, b.) will be repeated if a positive test result is observed during this step.

v. Green waste processing of the stockpile may resume once LFA surveys yield negative results and approval is given by Biosecurity Program Manager and/or Government

Biomonitor.

CRB Procedures:

The Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz Public Works Department Environmental Office (MCBCB-EV) approved methods for handling green waste are described below and will be dependent on the amount of green waste generated by the specific project.

Non-CRB host plants are approved for Methods 1, 2 and 3. For CRB host plants (coconut palms, betel nut, and pandanus) only Methods 2 and 3 are applicable. The Intermediate Method, as described below, will be applied to processed green waste piles and prior to application of Methods 1-3. The Contractor shall determine the appropriate method based on the amount of green waste and submit their processing method to MCBCB-EV for approval as part of the Site-Specific Waste Management Plan. The approved https://littlefireants.com/wp-content/uploads/07-LFA-Fact-Sheet_v7.2_Jul-2017-min.pdf http://www.littlefireants.com/lfa%20fact%20sheet%202.pdf implementation method will also be included in the Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point (HACCP)

Plan. If the method selected is not effective in preventing the establishment of CRB breeding sites (i.e.

grubs are found in processed material not protected by Intermediate Method) the Contractor shall work with MCBCB-EV to determine a more successful approach and revise their HACCP Plan.

Method 1- Mulch and Spread: This method is only approved for non-CRB host plant vegetation after the green waste has been processed into mulch.

The following procedures shall be applied to this method:

a. Mulch the green waste and spread on-site, with a depth of no greater than two inches to avoid creating breeding habitat for CRB.

b. Incorporate the mulch into existing soil as soon as possible to discourage beetle breeding and to aid in site stabilization (to control stormwater runoff).

c. The final spread of mulch shall only be used within the project footprint where no further earth moving activities will disrupt the mulch and soil mixture.

Method 2 - Compost: This method does not require separating CRB host plants from other vegetation.

The following procedures shall be applied to this method:

a. Mulch the green waste material and compost.

b. To minimize the risk of fire, stockpile height should not exceed 15 feet.

c. The Contractor shall monitor the compost pile weekly for evidence of CRB infestation (CRB count) and the temperature shall be measured and recorded using a compost thermometer.

d. If the compost pile appears dry, add water until the pile is moist. Optimal composting temperature is between 120-140 degrees F with 50-55% moisture.

e. When temperature of the compost pile exceeds 145 degrees F, the Contractor shall turn the pile using a bulldozer, backhoe, or similar equipment to maintain the optimal compositing conditions.

f. All CRB (grubs and adults) found in pile shall be recorded, killed and removed from netting of the pile.

g. Intermediate Method described below shall be used if compost is infested with grubs until such time that the material can be processed through a grinder/shredder to destroy the grubs and inspected by the Government Biomonitor prior to resuming compost activities.

h. The Contractor shall provide following records monthly to the Government Biomonitor.

i. Temperature

ii. Moisture level

iii. Number of times the pile was turned, and date turned

iv. Number of CRB observed and life-stage found in pile.

Method 3: Air curtain burners

The following procedures shall be applied to this method:

a. Air curtain burners require the Contracting Officer’s approval and coordination with MCBCB-EV prior to implementation.

b. This method shall be used sparingly as regulatory agencies are expected to limit usage to emergency situations for the processing of small volumes only.

c. The Contractor is responsible for obtaining all permits and licenses to operate an air curtain burner.

Intermediate Method – Tekken Net: This method shall be used within 30 days when Contractor does not actively apply Methods 1, 2 or 3 to process green waste (mulch).

The following methods shall be applied to this method:

a. Cover mulch green waste piles with a gill/fishnet, called tekken in Chamorro. Tekken net shall be a one-inch mesh measured knot to knot made from 0.25 mm nylon monofilament and laid over piles of green waste.

b. To minimize the risk of fire, stockpile height should not exceed 15 feet.

c. The green waste piles must be completely covered by the net without any holes or gaps greater than one inch to be effective. Green waste piles are attractive to CRB; they will be trapped in the net if they are trying to get into or emerging out from the green waste pile.

d. The tekken net shall be inspected weekly to ensure there are no holes or gaps in the netting and the net should be clear of weeds and other vegetation to allow for CRB observations. The netting should completely cover all processed mulch at the base of the mulch stockpile.

e. All observed CRB caught in the net shall be removed, killed and recorded by the Contractor.

f. The Contractor shall provide weekly records of tekken net maintenance and CRB observations to the Government Biomonitor monthly.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD

All vegetation/green waste material is processed by the Contractor in accordance with procedures outlined above to prevent the spread of LFA and the creation of CRB breeding sites on all DPRI projects.