Chonburi releases wasps to combat coconut maggots

PATTAYA:-- Agriculture officials will release more than 100,000 wasps over the next month to control a rapidly spreading maggot infestation threatening the entire coconut tree crop in Banglamung District.

 

Chonburi Deputy Gov. Chan­chai Iamcharoen and Bang­lamung District Chief Naris Niramaiwong presided over the release of the first 30,000 wasps in Huay Yai May 5.

 

The event also educated farmers on methods to prevent the spread of the black-headed coconut maggot, which now has infested 5,597 rai of crops in Chonburi. In January, officials said maggots had hit 1,800 rai in Pong and Nong Plalai sub-districts.

 

Growers were shown how to cut and burn leaves, correctly use pesticides and release the braconid wasps, which feed on the bugs.

 

Read more: http://www.pattayamail.com/news/chonburi-releases-wasps-combat-coconut-maggots-174939

 

-- © Copyright Pattaya Mail 2017-05-19

If this works, the next controlled release will be against the LB infestation on Beach Road.

So they have 100,000 wasps just standing by for such an outbreak....amazing!!

The squirrels used to take care of the bugs, to bad so many like jungle food.

Thats not the traditional Thai way. I thought it was a case of spray, spray and spray some more.

 

Eco system is screwed, certain species that seem necessery for the whole chain to work are missing. Illegal logging has nothing to do with im sure!!!

I must say where i live we had a massive amount of frogs after the rain last night. The sound is intense. Litterally 50 people are out taking the frogs as soon as the rain stops. Within about 1hour theres no sound which im guessing means no frogs. Do thais really need to go catch frogs? Frogs, spiders, lizards, etc... Theres no shortage of cheap food and it is illegal after all to go get wildlife to eat or in these cases sell i think. Its pretty pathetic. I know these people and they make ok money. Strange...

 

Frog is on the menu at many Thai restaurants in Pattaya and elsewhere. Is it illegal to eat frog?

Are the WASPS American?

They've instructed the wasps to only go after the maggots, just as they instructed the bear to stay in the helicopter a few months ago. What could go wrong? 

5 hours ago, NanLaew said:

If this works, the next controlled release will be against the LB infestation on Beach Road.

Wasp for?

Frog is on the menu at many Thai restaurants in Pattaya and elsewhere. Is it illegal to eat frog?

No not illegal,quite tasty when fried with garlic.

I think that most of the frogs, that are served in restaurants, are  grown for that purposes , not wild. But the frogs and lizards that are caught are for peoples personal consumption. Yes, they will catch and kill anything, even the last tiger!

I hope these wasps are native to Thailand, because, nearly every other example of introducing some none native animal to control a pest as ended up going wrong.. with the introduced species damaging the eco system and feeding on things it was not intended to. 

 

 

6 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

The squirrels used to take care of the bugs, to bad so many like jungle food.

I thought the squirrels down fall was their liking of high tension cables... 

Next will be spraying for wasps....

i presume the authorities did some research on what to do with the wasps....

13 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

I hope these wasps are native to Thailand, because, nearly every other example of introducing some none native animal to control a pest as ended up going wrong.. with the introduced species damaging the eco system and feeding on things it was not intended to. 

 

 

You think too much.

??

  Yes, hope they are sure it's maggots and not red Palm Weevils, which commonly destroy not only coconut trees here but most other palms as well.  

There must be a "sting in the tail" to this story

They released lady bugs in Ontario to eat aphids on soybeans. Come harvest time in the fall there where million of them flying around. They would get in your house for the winter and we're a pain. I used the vacuum to suck them up. Took few years for the out breaks to diminish.

Next they will release wasps to combat the sexpats in Pattaya. Should be fun to watch. 

44 minutes ago, balo said:

Next they will release wasps to combat the sexpats in Pattaya. Should be fun to watch. 

WASP's do you mean ?????

White Anglo Saxon People ? WASP's

1 hour ago, johng said:

White Anglo Saxon People ? WASP's

it's White Anglo-Saxon Protestants.

On 5/20/2017 at 1:08 PM, ragpicker said:

  Yes, hope they are sure it's maggots and not red Palm Weevils, which commonly destroy not only coconut trees here but most other palms as well.  

Is that the lesser of two weevils?

On 5/19/2017 at 5:15 AM, jak2002003 said:

I hope these wasps are native to Thailand, because, nearly every other example of introducing some none native animal to control a pest as ended up going wrong.. with the introduced species damaging the eco system and feeding on things it was not intended to. 

 

 

Not so.  That's an incredibly pessimistic statement. With any science there are failures in the process of discovery, but there are many success stories with biological control in Thailand and around the world. It is one method of  pest control within the whole scope of IPM, Integrated Pest Management, and can be instrumental in reducing high-risk, harsh chemical pesticide use. 

The Thai Dept of Agriculture has a biological control division headed by a PhD entomologist, that has been instrumental in other projects for parasitoid cultivation and releases.  Their office in Chonburi cultivated a mini-wasp that parasitizes the coconut hispid beetle, which they released for some significant control of this non-native invasive pest in Samui and other regions.  

 

Those who are concerned about pesticides in the environment should support and advocate for IPM and biological control. 

 

For more information search: "biological control of invasive species"

12 hours ago, drtreelove said:

Not so.  That's an incredibly pessimistic statement. With any science there are failures in the process of discovery, but there are many success stories with biological control in Thailand and around the world. It is one method of  pest control within the whole scope of IPM, Integrated Pest Management, and can be instrumental in reducing high-risk, harsh chemical pesticide use. 

The Thai Dept of Agriculture has a biological control division headed by a PhD entomologist, that has been instrumental in other projects for parasitoid cultivation and releases.  Their office in Chonburi cultivated a mini-wasp that parasitizes the coconut hispid beetle, which they released for some significant control of this non-native invasive pest in Samui and other regions.  

 

Those who are concerned about pesticides in the environment should support and advocate for IPM and biological control. 

 

For more information search: "biological control of invasive species"

Wow... do you work for the Thai Dept of Agriculture?

 

 

  I believe the "maggots" they are referring to are in fact the larvae of the Red Palm Weevil.  One of the most damaging pests in the world, yet Thai's breed them to sell the larvae for consumption .

We get them sometimes in our coconut and foxtail trees after warm weather, These are the guys:

 

 

That's them Rimmer, Red Palm Weevil larvae.