Hawaii looks at wasps to control invaders

February 28, 2008

Hawaiian agriculture officials said they want to bring in wasps from Taiwan and Tanzania to kill invasive pests brought to the islands.

KITV in Honolulu said the state's Department of Agriculture's Plant and Pest Control Branch is seeking permission to breed the two wasps. One of the wasps would kill off stinging nettle caterpillars, while the other would kill a similar wasp that is killing wiliwili and coral trees by laying its eggs on the leafs of the trees.

Plant Pest Control officials said they have spent more than a year studying the predatory wasp, which is devastating the state's plant life.

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