The South American Palm Weevil is a non-native pest that has begun to infest and destroy Canary Island date palms in San Diego County. Adult weevils are large, black in color, and about 1.5 inches in length. In San Diego County, the weevil has shown a very strong preference for attacking Canary Island date palms; however, the palm species host list is growing, and we expect this pest to attack other palms species over time. Infestations of weevil larvae in the crown of the palm can result in death if the infestation is not treated with insecticides. The apical meristem or “palm heart” produces new fronds and extensive feeding damage to this area can kill the palm as it is unable to continue growing. Once the palm heart is heavily damaged, the crown may tilt, appear collapsed, and in some instances the crown may become detached from the trunk and drop to the ground. Advanced stages of damage results in the palm crown being ringed by a halo of fronds.
The South American Palm Weevil in San Diego is causing catastrophic damage. Infested palms present a significant dropping hazard to people, cars, and property. In addition to the risk of crown drop, dead fronds readily fall from palms infested with South American Palm Weevils. Wind and rain events can increase the probability of frond dropping. Palm fronds are heavy and in the case of Canary Island date palm fronds, the base has large strong spines that can cause injuries. San Diego needs your help in eradicating this destructive pest from the area. Protecting and preserving trees and palms has tremendous environmental, social and economic benefits.
South American Palm Weevil Treatment: The best control option for protecting palms from South American Palm Weevils in San Diego are systemic pesticides that may be applied as soil drenches, soil injections, trunk sprays or paints, trunk injections, or as drenches applied to the crown. These products, designed specifically for South American Palm Weevil treatment, move into the palm and accumulate in the apical meristem, the palm heart, where weevil feeding is concentrated. These products then poison both weevil larvae and adult weevils. Developing a pesticide treatment program should be made in consultation with your Atlas Tree Service professional arborist, and multiple applications per year may be needed in infested areas to protect palms from weevil attack. Proactive South American Palm Weevil treatment is currently recommended every 3-4 months.
Removal of Infested Palms: Removal of infested, dying, or dead palms should always be undertaken by professional arborists. It is recommended that infested palm material (i.e., fronds and the bulbous top of the palm) be chipped. All transported material should be covered with a tarp and disposed of at a certified landfill that buries within 24 hours (or sooner) of dumping to reduce risks of spreading adult weevils into new areas either enroute to or around the disposal site. While technically it is not necessary to remove the entire palm trunk, the aesthetics of a dead palm trunk may encourage complete removal and stump grinding. Contact Atlas Tree Service to assist you with any tree removal needs.
Take immediate action to eradicate South American Palm Weevils in San Diego.
The overall health of your trees, palms and landscape is a very important part of your property and its value. If you suspect your palm is under attack, or you would like to discuss proactive South American Palm Weevil treatment, please contact the experts at Atlas Tree Service. If you are already treating your palms with Atlas Tree Service, a leader in plant health care in San Diego, CA, congratulations on taking positive steps to maintain a healthy, vibrant, pest free landscape.
