# Red Palm Weevil Epidemic



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

*Red Palm Weevil Beetle*

One of our cats has just deposited one of these beetle in our living room. They are a real menace and are destroying palms by the thousands. Until now we thought our garden was free of them but it seems not. We think we know which palm is infected in which case it is already too late but does anyone know of any treatments that work to save the other trees?


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

A pic


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## Guest (May 12, 2011)

According to our gardener at a previous place there was nothing that worked. If the beetle was already there then expect all the palms (that they like) to die. We lost 4 palms and having informed the council as you are supposed to they eventually sent people round to deal with them about 6 months later (by which time they had probably infected thousands more trees) by cutting them all down


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## pixikins (Sep 28, 2011)

A lot of the properties in Spain are left empty for most of the year being holiday homes and/or rentals. As a direct result, infected palm trees are not being detected and therefore not removed.

Where I live in Calpe, the Ayuntamiento won't do anything and that's one of the main reasons why these beetles (picudos rojos) are causing so much damage. Two properties very near to my own have infected trees and there's no way of contacting the owners. Obviously, even if I could afford to pay for the removal myself (which I can't) it would be illegal to trespass anyway.

I have 10 palms in my garden, if they get infected I won't be able to afford to remove them and this is really worrying. There are many other residents who are in the same boat.

So, given Spanish authorities are saying this is a grave problem, what on earth can be done in such situations?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

You could try contacting ACEC -Asociación Cultural Ecologista de Calpe

Asociación Cultural Ecologista Calpe Acec : Calpe © www.spain-index.com


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## pixikins (Sep 28, 2011)

I've been told the same but if the tree isn't infected it can be "innoculated", which makes it unattractive to the beetle. But this has to be topped up everything 2-3 months. It's done by drilling a hole and inserting a plastic tube and the insecticide, which is VERY toxic, is fed through.

I have 8 palms in my garden and, to be quite blunt, if they get infected I can't afford to have them removed. This is particularly worrying as my neighour (who is never here) has an infected tree right now.

You're lucky the Ayuntamiento in Marbella removes them, where I live they won't do anything - the home owner has to do it all. So much for Spain worrying about ecological disasters lol.


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## pixikins (Sep 28, 2011)

Alcalaina said:


> You could try contacting ACEC -Asociación Cultural Ecologista de Calpe
> 
> Asociación Cultural Ecologista Calpe Acec : Calpe © www.spain-index.com


Thanks Alcalaina - will phone them tomorrow and report back.

It's hardly surprising that this beetle is thriving given the number of unoccupied properties and the subsequent lack of treatment.


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## pixikins (Sep 28, 2011)

*Website for the ACEC (Calpe)*



pixikins said:


> Thanks Alcalaina - will phone them tomorrow and report back.
> 
> It's hardly surprising that this beetle is thriving given the number of unoccupied properties and the subsequent lack of treatment.


For information, the ACEC can be contacted through their website (which wasn't that easy to find - I had to go via twitter!!!!) - address is: Associació Cultural Ecològica de Calp


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

Our Phoenix palm was infested by that horrible thing, the tree palm specialists took out a huge 'nest' the size of a gym ball, they reckoned around 300 cacoons, they put some killer in the hole left, and injected into the stem,then some fertilizer and some vitamin left injected(like little brown bottles) in the tree to feed it, and help it recover. The chances are only 50/50, they will come back at the end of January, which is 3 months from initial treatment, if it is not improved it will have to be chopped down, and burned, sad it should have been a lovely tree.
The cacoons are huge, and the men cracked one open to reveal this still wriggling gross creature.
They said the Phoenix palm was more commonly infected because of the cup sort of shape at the top, and the wood in there is very soft, we had all our other palms treated as well, just in case!, and will continue to do so.


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## pixikins (Sep 28, 2011)

thrax said:


> One of our cats has just deposited one of these beetle in our living room. They are a real menace and are destroying palms by the thousands. Until now we thought our garden was free of them but it seems not. We think we know which palm is infected in which case it is already too late but does anyone know of any treatments that work to save the other trees?


I contacted the ecological group in Calpe - very helpful people. They tell me that the epidemic is now out of control, mainly due to the fact that there are so many empty properties where palms are left untreated.

However, they did give me this link to treatment options (most of which are, unfortunately, extremely toxic and expensive). It's in Spanish but, with a little time (or the help of a local friend) you should be able to find out what's involved:

http://www.agricultura.gva.es/web/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=efe51a4e-2656-457c-9935-f2091bc6d3c1&groupId=16

And, Calpe Ayuntamiento produced this but I think most local townhalls will have something similar:

Picudo Rojo

The place that probably has the most information is Elche since they've hardly a tree left standing. Here's the link to a recent newspaper article from down that way (you'll need to copy and paste it into your browser):

http://www.laverdad.es/alicante/v/20111212/elche/picudo-rojo-golea-administracion-20111212.html


If my palms get infected, I would never be able to afford to have them all removed - it will cost thousands of euros so I'm more than a bit worried.

A newspaper


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