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Renewed push to control red weevil spread

foto tractament becutThe Formentera Council's agriculture office wishes to inform island residents with palm trees at risk of infestation by the red palm weevil (rhynchophorus ferrugineus) that the adult pest's airborne activity spikes in October and November. The mature weevils set out from already heavily infested trees in search of new sources of food —healthy palm trees— to colonise.

The Formentera Council wishes to stress the importance of authorised, preventive phytosanitary treatments that can be applied in October, November and, subject to temperatures, December.

The Office of Agriculture has urged residents to avoid pruning at risk palm trees until temperatures cool, most likely in January and February, in order to capitalise on the weevil's period of relative inactivity.

Decree 04/2016 of January 29, 2016 (published January 30 in number 15 of the BOIB) designates control of this highly damaging pest as an issue of public interest.

For more information, contact the Formentera Council's Office of Agriculture.

Telephone: 971321087. Ext 3166