Franica Pulis
The Red Palm Weevil, a silent killer of palm trees for the past months in Malta, is now raising the alarm in Sicily, as well as various parts of the Italian coast.
So far, the insect pest has visibly infected some 30,000 of Sicily’s palm trees, prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency.
Researchers of the Agrarian Faculty of the University of Palermo estimate this figure to represent only one third of the real extent of the infestation, arguing that for every tree that manifests the presence of a bug, another two would be affected, but without any visible symptoms.
This destructive insect – a parasite which lays its eggs inside palm trees, and whose larvae proceed to eat the tree out from the inside – is native to Southern Asia, but spread to Europe and the Mediterranean in the 1980s.
It was first detected in Italy in 2006, and apart from the situation in Sicily, it has since killed up to 3,400 trees in Campania, Puglia, Rome and Lazio. A total of 30% of Lazio’s trees have so far been destroyed, and 5,000 more are currently at risk.
Italy estimates that the value of a 20-metre palm tree can reach €20,000, while the average cost of removing and destroying an infected tree is €1,000.
The University of Florence is currently working on an antidote. The latest attempt has been to study the DNA of the Red Palm Weevil, and reconstruct where it is coming from. Researchers from the University of Florence admitted: “We can think of controlling it, but eradication is impossible.”
In Malta, 119 infected trees have been reported to the Ministry of Rural Affairs to be removed. The most recent measure taken by the government was to create a census of trees by registering them all in order to have a better picture of the situation, as well as take quicker action where necessary.
In Malta, palm trees can cost between €466 (Lm200) to €3,494 (Lm1,500) depending on the size, quality and species.
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