Removing the remnant of a palm tree destroyed by the beetle.

Removing the remnant of a palm tree destroyed by the beetle. | R.L.

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma14/05/2016 00:00
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The head of the regional government's agriculture service, Andreu Joan, says that the Balearics is one of the few regions together with the Canaries, Galicia and Valencia where the towel hasn't been thrown in in the battle against the "picudo rojo", the red palm beetle.

Since the beetle's destructive powers first became apparent in 2006 some 11,000 palm trees have been affected. Detection, treatment, controls and the application of protocols have helped to reduce the number of infected trees. Data from the ministry of environment and agriculture points to a downward trend.

The municipalities most affected are as they have been for some years - Palma, Llucmajor, Calvia and Pollensa. The latter of these has been described as being "ground zero" for the beetle. It may not have been the only municipality where the beetle took an early hold, but the impact was swift and devastating.

Because of efforts made, Joan says that there are fewer palms that are now affected. This is partly because there are fewer actual trees, but the detection and controls have had a positive effect. If trees are treated in time, they can be saved. He is optimistic and adds that "we are working to curb the consequences of the 'plague' of beetles".

In Majorca, a census of palm trees puts the number at 273,600, of which almost 11,000 had been affected by the end of 2015.