# red palm beetle



## Nonnamags (Jan 10, 2013)

Red palm beetle!!! Spotted and killed in our garden in Huelva Province today.....expect both palm trees to die soon : (((((((


Any treatment? Pah!!!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

[QUOTE said:


> Nonnamags;1128027
> 
> 
> Any treatment? Pah!!!


[/QUOTE]
Maybe??
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...ing-spain/96989-red-palm-weevil-epidemic.html


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

Find somebody local (try your town facebook if there is one), and ask for somebody to start regular spray treatment on your palms, if they have been infected specialists can remove the nest and treat the tree to prevent more infestation. .
We have ours done every 3 months, and they are OK now.


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## country boy (Mar 10, 2010)

We spray ours with Kohinor Systemic Insecticide once a month from April 'til September. Haven't lost a one since loosing two before we knew how to deal with it three years ago. We have nearly 100! All sizes


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Ours had them in spite of the 8 cats chasing and catching them. The two palms were treated and survived so it is possible to save them.


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## Nonnamags (Jan 10, 2013)

Country Boy - where do we buy the Kohinoor stuff? None in Leroys.....I can hear the nasty little critters munching away inside - does this mean its too late? I'm really sad as we though we'd survived the recent plague. Currently dousing in fairy up liquid and water - at least they'll be clean! : (


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## Nonnamags (Jan 10, 2013)

Fergie- no one seems to know even though all the trees are dead everywhere. It's not important it seems. : (


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

Nonnamags said:


> Fergie- no one seems to know even though all the trees are dead everywhere. It's not important it seems. : (


That is a real shame, if nobody treats the palms they will die, and the palm beetle will multiply and spread elsewhere. If the trees are completely dead they should be chopped up and burned to kill any infestation in the wood. In my area only specialists are allowed to fell the infected trees, and they have to take them somewhere (allocated by the council-I think) to be burned, to kill the 100's of lavae in the nests, so that fire won't spread. I don't think it would be allowed for an individual to take down their own tree and burn it, as Spain can be so tinder dry.
I wonder if there is a lot of rental or un-occupied property, where the owners just don't maintain the trees properly.
Perhaps you should ask at a local garden centre, if they have a tree spraying service, or if that fails ask your the local council what they recommend.


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## country boy (Mar 10, 2010)

Nonnamags said:


> Country Boy - where do we buy the Kohinoor stuff? None in Leroys.....I can hear the nasty little critters munching away inside - does this mean its too late? I'm really sad as we though we'd survived the recent plague. Currently dousing in fairy up liquid and water - at least they'll be clean! : (


I get it from Agro Malaga in Churriana but I don't know where you are so you need an Agricultural Merchants.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

What is the Spanish term for the palm beetle so I can tell our gardener?
Is it picudos rojo?

I have spotted a few over the last few weeks and just saw one in one of the palms but until now I didn't know what they where. 
The palms look good so far but I guess they need to be treated.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Here is the little blighter.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Pazcat said:


> What is the Spanish term for the palm beetle so I can tell our gardener?
> Is it picudos rojo?
> 
> I have spotted a few over the last few weeks and just saw one in one of the palms but until now I didn't know what they where.
> The palms look good so far but I guess they need to be treated.


Sorry to say but I think it's too late. 

The beetle lays 'eggs' which turn to grubs and eat the palm. Then they pupate and it all starts again.

Soooo..... it's either a beetle arriving or, more likely, one just hatched. In that case there will be loads more somewhere.


We have already lost one palm and this week I noticed that all the others are infested. We sprayed regularly at vast expense but it didn't stop them!


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Hmmm, yeah I was afraid of that.
Like I said I have seen the beetles the last couple of weeks but didn't know what type they were. Quite few flying around as well. It wasn't until I noticed one on the palm I had the thought it could be one.

So there isn't much we can do?
I still think I should inform the landlord as there are a number of palms here and the too gardener as he does a number of houses in the area. Maybe he already knows.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Pazcat said:


> Hmmm, yeah I was afraid of that.
> Like I said I have seen the beetles the last couple of weeks but didn't know what type they were. Quite few flying around as well. It wasn't until I noticed one on the palm I had the thought it could be one.
> 
> So there isn't much we can do?
> I still think I should inform the landlord as there are a number of palms here and the too gardener as he does a number of houses in the area. Maybe he already knows.


The only solution is to cut them down and cover the remaining stump (to stop anything leaving). 

The smell will be horrendous - so beware!!!!!!

Getting rid of the trunk and/or grinding out the roots is very costly.


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## Guest (Oct 3, 2014)

This is a subject dear to our hearts as our home-to-be has two or possibly three large palms (there's a slight difference of opinion between myself and OH on this subject). We've just been to the local garden centre again and asked for advice as the present owner will not be in the property from now until the sale is completed. Our first visit elicited the information that you can actually hear the horrible things munching and squeaking. Today we were told the blight had spread to other palms. Someone else has told us this is not the case. Does anyone have more information?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

meetloaf said:


> This is a subject dear to our hearts as our home-to-be has two or possibly three large palms (there's a slight difference of opinion between myself and OH on this subject). We've just been to the local garden centre again and asked for advice as the present owner will not be in the property from now until the sale is completed. Our first visit elicited the information that you can actually hear the horrible things munching and squeaking. Today we were told the blight had spread to other palms. Someone else has told us this is not the case. Does anyone have more information?


If you have them in one then, in all probability, all the others will suffer a similar fate.

If you can hear them 'crunching', then it's a gonner!

... now wait for the smell!


We cut off the remaining green palms at the top and covered the whole thing with a tarpaulin (actually, I used a builder's sack). This not only keeps them in but also reduces the smell somewhat.


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## Guest (Oct 3, 2014)

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. At the moment we can't get access to the property and probably won't be able to until the property transaction goes through. That is frustrating because we are not sure these palm trees are being looked after properly in this interim period, not through intentional negligence but because they've fallen through the net. As far as we know they are not infected and we hope that's how they'll be when we move it.

We didn't know anything about this weevil so this is a learning curve. The first visit to the garden centre, when we heard about all this, scared the living daylights out of me. I am on a hunt for more knowledge as when we finally move in, I suspect treating the trees will come before such trivia as unpacking or eating.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

meetloaf said:


> Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. At the moment we can't get access to the property and probably won't be able to until the property transaction goes through. That is frustrating because we are not sure these palm trees are being looked after properly in this interim period, not through intentional negligence but because they've fallen through the net. As far as we know they are not infected and we hope that's how they'll be when we move it.
> 
> We didn't know anything about this weevil so this is a learning curve. The first visit to the garden centre, when we heard about all this, scared the living daylights out of me. I am on a hunt for more knowledge as when we finally move in, I suspect treating the trees will come before such trivia as unpacking or eating.


Fair enough.

Just be aware that even when properly treated, they can still be infected and die. This has happened to us and to our friends.

IMHO - waste of money trying to keep them out. Que sera, sera (sp?)


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## country boy (Mar 10, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> Fair enough.
> 
> Just be aware that even when properly treated, they can still be infected and die. This has happened to us and to our friends.
> 
> IMHO - waste of money trying to keep them out. Que sera, sera (sp?)


It is true that late treatment will not "cure" a sick tree, but spraying is more about prevention. We have over 150 palms on our finca, 70 or so are Phoenix Canariensis, we also have other Phoenix varieties which we do not spray and so far these have not been infected. 
We now spray ( more of a drench really) the crowns bi-monthly from March to September and have had no losses whatsoever since this treatment started, I think this is the fourth season. 
The two trees we lost originally were actually drooping and it is true to say that if they look like that you will not save them, but do spray the rest. Also I would hazard to say that if you can hear the munching it is also too late as the damage has been done. 
I do believe however that we are stuck with this routine for the long haul as the situation is not going to go away for some years yet.


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## villamarre (Oct 19, 2012)

Even though we have sprayed/injected our palms we have lost all of them,some were 25 years old and once you see the weevil you are fighting a losing battle,have been told they are attracted by the smell given off when you trim the palms but what can you do.Have noticed that none of our fan palms(washingtonia) have been affected as the trunks of the individual palm leaves are too narrow for the beetles to bore into and hide.

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a species of snout beetle also known as the Asian palm weevil or sago palm weevil.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

villamarre said:


> Even though we have sprayed/injected our palms we have lost all of them,some were 25 years old and once you see the weevil you are fighting a losing battle,have been told they are attracted by the smell given off when you trim the palms but what can you do.Have noticed that none of our fan palms(washingtonia) have been affected as the trunks of the individual palm leaves are too narrow for the beetles to bore into and hide.
> 
> Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
> The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a species of snout beetle also known as the Asian palm weevil or sago palm weevil.


That's interesting, I've just spent today cutting down our last remaining 3 (date) palms - now we've lost the lot.

What I call sago palms have not been affected at all.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

We have a dead palm in our garden. No fronds or foliage whatsoever and looks to have been like this for some time. The trunk (approx 2 metres tall) moves easily when pushed.

Are there any restrictions on what I can do with this, or can I just dispose of it in the normal manner?


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## villamarre (Oct 19, 2012)

I burn mine as they are full of all stages of the beetle and you do not want to infect someone elses trees.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

villamarre said:


> I burn mine as they are full of all stages of the beetle and you do not want to infect someone elses trees.


This is about the only thing you can do with them BUT - they burn very, very slowly even with a few litres of petrol soaked into them!


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2014)

I'm told that In our area there is one person authorised to dispose of infected palm trees. He cuts them down, wraps them and takes them to a designated disposal point for burning. At least some people follow the rules on this one, though I would guess compliance is not universal.


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## Expatliving (Oct 21, 2013)

Any update on the Costa's and beyond regarding this infestation? This is very sad for the aesthetics of many a home and area.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

Nonnamags said:


> Red palm beetle!!! Spotted and killed in our garden in Huelva Province today.....expect both palm trees to die soon : (((((((
> 
> 
> Any treatment? Pah!!!


You need to buy a chemical called Imidacloprid which is only available for sale in agricultural merchants. It costs about €12 for about 25cl but it is highly concentrated and you only need a few drops in a sprayer with 5 litres of water. Thoroughly spray the trunk and the fronds and get as much liquid as possible into the crown. Imidacloprid is the chemical used by the professionals and is injected into the trunk as a preventative treatment every three months in many public parks throughout Spain. But it will quickly kill the picudo rojo after infestation and, if caught before too much damage is done, will save the tree. Imidacloprid is a controversial chemical because it is lethal to bees, so use with caution and wear a face mask and goggles when spraying. Good luck! (PS: Also very effective for killing wasps).


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