The copra beetles are eating through packets of rice, flour and biscuits in the stores and shop owners are beginning to worry about the state of their items.
According to an independent pest controller on Bougainville Mark Aisah, the beetles are small and have spread out rapidly.
“Copra buyers in Buka should advise us to treat their cash crops so that this sort of pest should not spread rapidly,” Aisah said.
“The beetles found in copra can do damage to food too and when you purchase something from the stores, it can also be found in bags of rice flour and biscuits and any other assorted food items,” he said.
According to the National Agriculture and Quarantine Inspection Authority officials in Buka, the beetle found in copra is known as the red legged beetle and copra sheds should spray chemicals outside the sheds to prevent them from getting in.
NAQIA officer in Buka Moses Hilu said the area where the copra is stored would be sprayed to prevent the beetles getting into the copra sacks.
The copra will not be sprayed directly because of the chemicals.
“Chemicals may damage the copra that is being stored and might make it worthless for export,” Hilu said.
“But generally copra sheds and store owners should make a general cleanup of their sheds or stores, make sure there is no leakage from flour bags and other assorted goods and food items like biscuits,’’ he said.
Hilu said if any shop keeper found a beetle it should be placed in a jar and taken to the NAQIA office to determine whether it’s a red-legged beetle.
“We cannot just blame the copra beetle. There are also other beetles that are found in rice and in flour and food items, so in order for us to help we need a proper identification of the beetle, so bring forward the beetles attacking food for proper identification,” Hilu said.
