Red Palm Weevil

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debsiwebs
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Red Palm Weevil

Postby debsiwebs » Thu May 08, 2014 3:06 pm

Help :( Came back a few weeks ago after quite a while away and was really pleased to see we had an owl nesting in one of our palm trees with two lovely little owlets. However, I also noted that several of the inner palm fronds had died and now that the babies have flown the nest, upon investigation of the tree...I have found Red palm weevils !!!!!! :crazy: Has anyone out there encountered this horrible little beast? I've read up on it and of course it's the worse thing since the Black Death to a palm tree! Is it a common complaint around the area of Puente genil?...and will all my palms be affected? Any information on how to treat this effectively and within limited funds...many thanksx

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby El Cid » Thu May 08, 2014 5:38 pm

Have a look at this old thread.

viewtopic.php?f=33&t=27270&p=279750&hil ... le#p279750

It generally only affects the big Canary palms not the more common Washingtonia variety.

The treatment is lots of expensive spraying with insecticide.

Sid

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby debsiwebs » Fri May 09, 2014 8:48 am

Thanks for your reply, and yes, mine is a glorious old canary palm but I fear the weevil has done his worst for this particular tree. I have read that there is an alternative to the very expensive insecticide, it's a Spanish version of Jeyes fluid. As cost is very much an issue, I thought about treating my remaining Canary palms with this remedy and would like to know if anyone out there has used this method successfully.....or if this evil weevil is as unstoppable as it appears?
Do I have to notify the town hall of this infestation ?

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Wicksey
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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby Wicksey » Fri May 09, 2014 10:26 am

We have been using this on our palms. It isn't expensive, about 10€, and you only use a small amount at a time in water. We bought it from a local garden centre but have also seen it in ferretarias.
http://www.productosflower.com/producto ... oducte=214

We are treating them every couple of months to try to prevent an attack. We noticed a ring of dead leaves and panicked that we had an infestation, especially as we have regularly seen the beetles in and around the two trees we have. Ours are Washingtons but they are not totally immune, especially as there are few other palm trees about in this area.

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby El Cid » Fri May 09, 2014 10:55 am

That is the normal insecticide used on the palm trees. It is also called Confidor and the proper name is Imadaclorprid.

The problem is that the palms need a very large dose, almost a soaking, so a 40ml bottle won't go far.

You can buy the same thing from agricultural suppliers for a fraction of that price. In fact, you can buy 5 litres for the price of two of those little bottles!

http://fertitienda.com/insecticida/confidente-5l.html

Sid

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby Wicksey » Fri May 09, 2014 1:25 pm

Yes Imadaclorprid is the chemical in this make. We only need to use a minimum of 5 ml in 10 litres of water (0.5ml to 0.75ml per litre) so it has been lasting us OK for our 2 monthly dosings. We were told to water it in at the bottom of the tree as they are too high for us to reach the crown and also the beetles tend to dig in from the bottom on the Washingtons. Our cat has dug out beetles that were burrowing into the soil around the root, so maybe that it true. Anyway .... so far so good. Next time we need to buy anything we'll get the cheaper version that Sid recommends.

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby debsiwebs » Fri May 09, 2014 1:48 pm

Thankyou both for your speedy replies! I will act upon this advice pronto and maybe save my other three, so far unaffected, palms. I'll treat the infected one aswell, hopefully to kill the little beasts that have taken up residence there so far.
Many thanks guys xx :P

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knowal
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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby knowal » Fri May 09, 2014 2:23 pm

Once a tree is looking sick, the chances of saving it are very slim indeed. :(
It will have to be removed and everything burned to kill the larvae.

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby El Cid » Fri May 09, 2014 2:27 pm

The dosage for infected palms is very much higher.

You should use 1ml per litre and give it between 30 and 40 litres every 45 days.

At that dosage the 40ml bottle will provide only one dose.

Sid

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby katy » Sat May 10, 2014 10:06 am

White Horse wrote:
debsiwebs wrote:Thankyou both for your speedy replies! I will act upon this advice pronto and maybe save my other three, so far unaffected, palms. I'll treat the infected one aswell, hopefully to kill the little beasts that have taken up residence there so far.
Many thanks guys xx :P
Once a tree is looking sick, the chances of saving it are very slim indeed. :(
It will have to be removed and everything burned to kill the larvae.
Very true. The problem is they live, and eat the tree from inside. The grubs are huge and by the time they are noticed it's too late. We lost two very mature ones as did all our neighbours. One day the tree can appear fine and the next all the fronds will have collapsed. When we saw inside the massive trunk it was reduced to sawdust inside.The coast has lost thousands, mainly due to slowness in responding years ago. Have seen infected trees in Central Marbella left for weeks.

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby katy » Mon May 19, 2014 11:01 am

An article here with picture about replacing trees they lost in Avenida Parque de Malaga. 21 mature palms were affected. I have a photo of the place in the 1970's and I would not recognise it from that photo.

http://www.diariosur.es/v/20140519/mala ... 40519.html

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby gina59 » Fri Oct 10, 2014 6:53 am

debsiwebs wrote:Thankyou both for your speedy replies! I will act upon this advice pronto and maybe save my other three, so far unaffected, palms. I'll treat the infected one aswell, hopefully to kill the little beasts that have taken up residence there so far.
Many thanks guys xx :P
Dont know if the person who wrote this post is still a member. Just wondering if you managed to save your palms. I think my canary palm has the same problem, and unfortunately it is very close to another palm which at the moment looks ok but obviously I would like to stop it going the same way. Any advise would be welcome. Thanks in advance.
My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.

debsiwebs
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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby debsiwebs » Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:40 am

Hi Gina....sorry to tell you, but I didn't act fast enough and lost at least two beautiful old palms, but as previous posts have said, once infected, treatment is pretty pointless. Two days after I noticed this first Palm was infected, a second one also succumbed to the deadly weevil. Unfortunately, we had to return to UK in haste and didn't get time to treat the healthy ones. I am resigned to the fact that when I return to Spain there will be no palms left in my gardens :( There are several threads on here advising on which is the best treatment....I do hope you find one that works for you in time. X

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby gina59 » Fri Oct 10, 2014 1:36 pm

Sorry to here that its very upsetting isn't it, mine are 10 years old and were really nice. I had a man look at them this morning and he said one is finished. but he could give me something to spray on the other, He was spanish so didn't actually get the name. So fingers crossed I can at least save one.
My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby oliveview01 » Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:59 pm

We were cutting some low 'branches ' on our Washington palm this morning and tidying up the trunk and discovered a dead what I am sure is a palm beetle, red with a pointed 'nose'. I understood that the palm beetle did not normally attack the Washington palm, should we spray the tree?

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby kexon » Fri Jul 17, 2015 9:33 am

Washington Palm are less likely to be affected but can be.We have already lost one of our palms and we know the other two are affected,we spray every 45 days with confidur,spray and pray.If you google red palm weevil you will get loads of info and yes they are exactly as you described.

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby kexon » Fri Jul 17, 2015 9:35 am

Oops forgot to mention dont trim your palms too often the weevils love it,only take off the dead leaves ,when you have to trim do it in the winter,not the warmer months.

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby El Cid » Fri Jul 17, 2015 9:46 am

kexon wrote: we spray every 45 days with confidur,spray and pray. .
You don't need to spray. Just water in the Confidor around the roots. Another option is to drill small holes around the trunk and inject the liquid - easier than spraying.

Yes, you're right about pruning in the winter, but we have to do ours in June/July to remove the flowers as they make such a mess.

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby oliveview01 » Fri Jul 17, 2015 12:51 pm

Thanks for the replies, will buy the stuff on Monday. We had to trim off the lower palms, the palm tree is about 5 foot to the top of the trunk, and the lower palms were touching the ground, making it hard work to clear up dog poo!

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Re: Red Palm Weevil

Postby kexon » Fri Jul 17, 2015 12:53 pm

When i said spray, i should have said we water into the roots,however some people with smaller shorter palms do spray directly into the crown.


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