GENERAL
RED PALM WEEVIL
(Rhyncophorus ferrugineus)
This destructive pest has reached Pissouri. Every care needs to be taken to check that your palms are not infected. We will pass on shortly the advice on how to treat infected palms. If the palm is beyond saving, as was the case with this treasured tree below, it has to be treated to destroy any remaining weevils and destroyed.
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Update, 14 December 2011:
You can get an idea of the scale of the infestation in palm trees from the photos
Harriet sent us. She reports that the palm was riddled with these grubs, all of which
would have metamorphosed in the Spring and migrated onto every other palm in the
Village they could find (including our fabulous date trees). Harriet is a diligent
member of the community. This tree was sprayed, doused with petrol and
incinerated. Not everyone will be so community-minded, so an effective protection
programme is vital.
Harriet has also found out how to treat your palms yourself. If the tree is dead, you
pour plenty of strong quality “Demeram”, diluted as recommended, over the top of
the tree so that it soaks into the heart, onto the branches and around the base of the
palm. Wait 7 days for it to take effect, cut it into sections and burn. The agricultural
chemical firm Lambros in Limassol helped with this work and will supply the chemical
and give help and advice. If some palms are left untreated, they will simply re-infect
trees which have been treated.
Someone I spoke to at the C3A meeting on Monday remarked that they could
actually hear knocking when they passed a palm! But a major problem is that the
weevils are very hard to detect. From the infestation to recognising there is a
problem can take 6 months in young plants, and up to three years in mature palms.
Drooping leaves and cocoons found in the boreholes in the leaves, and brown liquid
oozing from the trunk are visible signs of the weevil. Within weeks virtually the
entire crown will be affected and can result in the death of the tree if it is not
treated.
A single female weevil can lay about 300 eggs which hatch in 2 – 5 days. The larval
period lasts for 1 – 3 months, after which they pupate in a cocoon inside the trunk
and emerge as adult beetles after 14-21 days. So the possibilities for a plague of red
palm weevils is clear.
The Ministry advises us not to prune palms near an outbreak, and that it should be
done in the winter when the weevils are less active.
Ministry of Agriculture (in Greek): http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/da/da.nsf/All/A30E4D814845AEF5422577450024CE56/$file/KANTHAROS.pdf?OpenElement
Many thanks to Harriet for the research she has done on how to deal with an infestation, and the photos.
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The Fire Department warn that October and November can be the most dangerous months because farmers drop their guard and start burning to clear fields. This is a regular - and dangerous - practice in Pissouri. Yesterday, from the top of the Village, you could see three major fires beyond Pissouri - Akrotiri, beyond Orites, and behind Paphos. The cost and environmental damage must be enormous. So it really is necessary to continue to be vigilant for the time being.
While the total rainfall for the year has been good, we are overdue for another good downpour.
29.10.11
Tuesday 18th October:
RAIN
The second rainfall of the year, in the middle of the night. One helluva storm. It will be interesting to check the news today and see if any damage has been done.
RAIN
The first autumn rain fell last night (Thursday 22nd September), bucket loads of it!
Hopefully, the start of a good rainy season.