Measures against Plant pests and Diseases: - It has been indicated that a Rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes Rhinoceros) is the chief enemy of coconut cultivation in Samoa. The chief measures adopted against the pest have been (a) the destruction of old coconut wood and shells lying about the cultivation (b) the use of this material as traps, which were burned after 6 or 8 weeks. (c) the promulgation of a "duty day" in which all Samoan males had to make a thorough search in the native plantations for pests with a view to their destruction. In addition to these measures there has been an attempt to introduce a natural enemy of the beetle. The pest attacks especially groups of young palms and extends in the direction of the prevailing winds. The want of labour hinders the proper control of the insect and it is hoped that the importation of Chinese may help to meet this difficulty. (From the Bulletin of the Imperial Institute).
A 1917 study studied this question.