A insecticide has been developed, Thiamethoxam
and marketed under the name of Actara which
appears to give protection for up to six months.
Thiamethoxam (TMX) is a second generation
neonicotinoid insecticide. The insecticide is applied
at the base of the palm trees and is taken up in the
body and leaves. Trials lasting eight months have
shown a 100 per cent success rate on palms that
are over four metres in height. Not a single lava
survived the effects of the insecticide. However this
treatment is very expensive and normally only used
by licensed companies.
The news was made public in a lecture given in
Valencia by the laboratories of the Estación Phoenix
in Elche as part of the second international
conference organised by plant health magazine,
Phytomer, to discuss methods and strategies in the
fight against the palm weevil which saw 1,600 palm
trees destroyed in Elche alone. The meeting was
attended by over 400 people from countries
affected by the Palm Weevil which included Britain.
The insecticide is the result of many months work in
the laboratories which has resulted in a substance
that need only be applied twice per year to afford
protection, the longest period of effectivity for an
insecticide so far. Only a much lower level of
application than most current substances is needed
and with a higher effectivity. Females landing on a
leaf to lay an egg are killed and the insecticide is
not believed to be harmful to the trees themselves.
Nematodes (Biological Treatment)
Research reports are showing that the use of
Steinernema carpocapse nematodes are achieving
cure rates of infected palms of 85% as a cure and
92% as prevention (A. Martinez Peña). It is
applied by mixing the live nematodes in water
(they are too small to be seen by the naked eye)
and spraying between 5-10 million nematodes on
a small palm and 20-30 million on a large palm. A
well known bio research company is supplying this
treatment in Spain in 6 package sizes. Information
on this companies products can be found here.
This particular product is supplied with a
biostimulation product that stimulates growth in
the palm to help it overcome the damage caused
by Picudo Roco (otherwise known as Red Palm
Weevil) . I have used these and they work. The
only down side is once the vermin are eradicated
the nematodes have nothing to eat hence they
die. This leaves the palm open to re infestation.
Pheromone Traps
The trap is a bucket which contains water in the
bottom (I add a little insecticide in the water to kill
them quickly). Above the water and under the lid
are two sachets suspended from the underside of
the lid. One sachet containing pheromones and
the other kairomones to lure the weevil into the
bucket and die in the water. The side of the bucket
has a plastic weave to give it the feel of palm bark
for the weevil to climb on. One bucket covers an
area between 50-100 meters and the sachets
require changing every 90 days. From personal
experience I have found these to work but they
appear to attract more beetle to the trees, and the
beetles that miss the trap hit the tree. Information
can be found here on this product.
Picuodo Roco (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus)
(Escarabajo rojo de la palmera)
Annual table of treatment for Palm Trees
Standard trap
Version 12.4.3.s 10 September 2018