Palm Tree Beetle.

[katy]

I have been reading articles on this for a while, they say it could devastate the palm trees all over andalucia. I didn't think much about it but a close neighbour's palm has suddenly collapsed and is dying. They are not here at the moment. I have this morning noticed a similar one on the next street. They were both massive mature trees.

I have just heard the last part of a radio phone in re. the Palms. One woman said one of her palms died and when they went into the middle of it they counted at least 500 beetles. She is worried about the other she has and contacted the Ayuntamiento as advised on TV that any should be reported. This was weeks ago and she has not been contacted.

Does anyone know a good preventative for this disease as I would hate to lose ours?

[laclotte]

Me too Our new pool is being planned around these existing trees

[kexon]

We have two stunning palm trees in our garden,what does the palm tree beetle look like?

[El Cid]

Interesting articles here:-

http://www.palms.org/palmsjournal/2002/redweevil.htm

http://tinyurl.com/36prgo

As you will see it is a major problem in Andalucia. The major target is the Canary Date Palm. The other tall fan palms are Washingtonia and are less likely to be infected although it seems that they can get the bugs.

Sid

[LEONARDO]

I have just been reading an article in the Almuneca Gazzette about this problem and apparently it is a former mayor of Motril who is to blame.
He decided to import some palms from Egypt many years ago and they brought the palm beetle with them and have now spread all along the andalucian coast from there.

Leonardo

[Jool]

It usually takes the town hall 10 to 14 days to get the authorised contractor out to deal with this beetle. They should cover the top of the palm tree with netting before felling it to ensure no beetles fly out.....

The key to identifying whether it is plam tree beetle or not is to look at the new palm fronds growing out the centre of the tree. If these are brown or wilting at all or if there is virtually no new growth it means its very likely you have the beetle as it eats the tree from inside out so is only seen when it has eaten enough of the inside out to make it unsustaining for the new growth.....if that makes sense. We lost two 20 year old palm trees to this but the third one, right next door still seems ok...they had to be lifted out by crane. I read somewhere that the beetle likes male palm trees more than female...

[gavilan]

connecting with an earlier thread 'Cream Crackered' in which country boy said 'maintenance ... a piece of cake' ... so there was that frost 3 years ago which killed many plants in the garden, then the irrigation system failed in the summer this year - more dead plants (?if they are dead, why are they so incredibly difficult to dig out?!!)... and now I await the palm tree beetle ... could have 6 dead palm trees to greet me when I return from xmas in UK ... oh yes maintenance is a piece of cake!!!