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Red weevil continues to plague palm trees
Mallorca's palm trees have been under attack by the red palm weevil (aka Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier) since 2003. Last year, the number of affected palm trees rose by a factor of four and 744 palm trees were found to have been infected. These trees have to be destroyed as the weevil is resistant to insecticide.
The weevil is a beetle that that eats the interior of the trunk, the leaves and the shoots of palm trees. It breeds three or four times a year and can produce between 300 and 400 eggs each cycle. When fully grown, the weevil can reach lengths of 5cm, and whilst devastating for the palm tree, they are not harmful to humans.
The area in Mallorca most affected is Pollenca, with Palma and Cala d'Or also reporting infected trees. The Department of Agriculture is inspecting palm trees in public areas for the beetle and is urging private land owners to contact them if they suspect a palm tree on their land has been infested. Palm trees housing the beetle are removed and burned to stop the spread of the insect.
