The red palm weevil is one of the greatest threats to the life of palm trees. In this regard, endotherapy is the most effective treatment available against the red palm weevil in 2023 – though it’s not the only one. There are others, each with their own specific characteristics.
There are several different types of treatment that can be used to combat red palm weevil infestations. These are the main ones.
This is a very simple technique based on the following process:
This causes the bud to become saturated with the solution and eliminates the weevils.
The risk of this technique is that it can result in the appearance of fungus, due to excess moisture in the bud, and that the application of insecticides – which will end up spilling onto the area around the palm tree – can be harmful to the environment. It is only recommended when the attack is located in the bud, as it won’t be effective for attacks to the sides and base of the trunk.
Nematodes are microscopic organisms that live in the soil. This treatment consists in applying a specific species, Steinernema carpocapsae, that is effective against red palm weevil larvae.
This treatment is complex, as it involves living beings which require special handling, cannot survive in high temperatures and act slowly. It is only recommended when the attack is located in the bud, as it won’t be effective for attacks to the sides and base of the trunk.
This treatment works as follows:
In this technique, the Beauveria bassiana fungus infects red palm weevil larvae and adults and slowly kills them. What is more, the spores rise to the surface, allowing them to infect other weevils.
This system is often used to monitor and capture red palm weevils. It uses sexual attractants (pheromones) and food attractants (kairomones).
However, compared to the options mentioned above, the best treatment for red palm weevils in 2023 is, without a doubt, endotherapy.
This treatment for palm trees infested with red palm weevils offers the best results to eliminate and prevent infestations. It offers benefits such as:
Its frequency will depend on the insecticide used and the process is carried out in four steps:
As the technique is highly efficient, many palm trees can be protected thanks to this simple procedure. It involves injecting an insecticide inside the trunk, which kills the larvae and protects the tree.
As we have seen, several effective treatments are available to fight red palm weevil larvae and prevent their harmful effect on the palm tree. However, the most effective and least expensive of these is endotherapy. We at Sospalm recommend this technique as it yields the best results.