While Meal Zense introduces a lot on coffee beans and coffee berries, our enemy, coffee berry borer, should be described too. The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is a small bug that is the most devastating pest of coffee crops worldwide. It may be native to Africa, but has spread to coffee-growing regions around the world, including Central and South America and Asia.
The coffee berry borer attacks the coffee plant by boring into the coffee berries (the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean) and laying its eggs inside. The larvae then feed on the coffee beans, causing damage and reducing the quality and yield of the crop. Infected berries may also turn yellow and fall prematurely, leading to further yield losses.
Controlling the coffee berry borer is difficult, as it is resistant to many pesticides and can develop resistance to others quickly. Integrated pest management practices, such as pruning, sanitation, and the use of natural enemies, can help to reduce the impact of the pest. Some coffee farmers have also turned to alternative methods, such as using traps or applying natural substances like Beauveria bassiana, a fungus that can infect and kill the coffee berry borer.
