Red palm weevil is a pest of a great virulence, the most important thing is to detect the attack early. Techniques have been investigated for the early detection of the attacks (Ultrasounds, infrared, thermal cameras, etc.), but none of them ended up with the expected efficiency, giving false positives. They also have a very high price. The recommendation is to get in the hands of qualified professionals who can guide you in the procedure to follow.
Given the difficulty of detecting the attack, preventive treatments are recommended.
Techniques such as Endotherapy and Foliar Showers are used to prevent or cure. Authorized chemicals and organic treatments offer interesting results in pest control and prevention.
It is important to achieve a good efficiency in the use of these techniques to carry out the treatments by authorized and qualified personnel.
Pruning is a technique that in addition to removing dry material from the palm tree and giving it a pleasant esthetic appearance, has to serve to directly inspect the meristematic area. We can find sawdust, exudations or asymmetries in the meristem. It is advisable to prune in times when the temperature is below 15ºC, since the adult does not usually fly in these conditions, remaining in the colony of an affected palm tree waiting for better temperatures to go out to colonize new specimens.
By causing a cut in the leaves the palm releases a volatile substance, called Kairomona, that set up a call effect in red palm weevil adults that are flying.
It is not always possible to prune all palm trees on these dates and less in areas with a warm weather so it is recommended to use putty or healing pastes to cover pruning wounds and the application of insecticides in the cuts. Performing a foliar shower after pruning is a very useful practice to protect the specimen.
