The red palm weevil

How to carry out palm weevil control – using an advanced method and not like before?
The red palm weevil is a destructive pest that attacks palm trees and destroys them slowly and carefully.
There are several ways to get rid of the red palm weevil, but the best way to prevent it from attacking your palm tree in the first place (by regularly inspecting your palm tree for signs of infestation) . The best way is regular injections using an innovative method that does not spread pesticides everywhere and protects us, the palm tree, and the environment perfectly (spoiler – SOSPALM).

Stages in the life cycle	The life cycle of the red palm weevil
egg	The female red palm weevil lays her eggs inside the host palm tree, often near the base of the trunk. The eggs are small and white, and hatch into larvae after about 5 days.
larva	The larvae are the destructive stage of the red palm weevil’s life cycle. They burrow through the trunk of the palm tree, causing extensive damage as they feed on the soft tissue within. The larvae go through several moults as they grow, and can reach a length of up to 2 centimeters by the time they are ready to pupate.
cocoon	The pupal stage lasts about 10 days, during which the larvae transform into adults inside cocoons made from pieces of palm tree material.
graduate	Adults emerge from their cocoons as beetles. They mate shortly after emergence, and females begin laying eggs within a few days. Adults can live for several months, during which time they may mate and lay eggs several times. Now that you know this, would you like to learn about another type of beetle, for example the tobacco beetle?

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What is the price for palm tree treatment?

The price depends on the quantity of trees and the thickness of the trunks – some trunks require the insertion of more dowels and some require fewer.
The most expensive starting price (for a small quantity of palm trees) is from 500 NIS per tree. Weevil treatment requires drilling, placing the diclon, introducing the pesticide, closing the diclon, and another visit after two months for another and final pest control.

Quantity of palm trees	Price for red palm weevil control using the drilling method (price includes visit after two months)
1-5	500 + VAT for wood
5-20	300 + VAT for wood
20-50	250 + VAT for wood
50+	200+ VAT for wood

The above system was developed and designed specifically to control pests that attack palm trees. It is gaining momentum worldwide (in Israel, it is still in its infancy) mainly due to the fact that it protects the environment (as opposed to repeated spraying and spreading poisons on the “roof” of the palm tree and the entire environment) and also uses the “veins” of the palm tree so that the pesticide can pass through all its parts.

What is the SOSPALM system and how does it protect against pests and the palm weevil?

The red palm weevil – advantages of the innovative method of stem injection

• Effectiveness in pest prevention
• Low price compared to competitors
• Install once and use it repeatedly?
• Much more environmentally friendly than gulping down poison without limit until you’re soaked.
• Prevents fungal risks
• More effective (not just friendlier) than swallowing poison.
• Does not require special equipment (such as a telescopic sprayer), which lowers the price for the end consumer.
• Maintains an environment free of pesticides and, of course, protects the dates from pesticide residues.

What are the five most common pests that palm trees have?

1. Rhynchophorus ferrugineus – Red palm weevil
2. Diocalandra
3. stem borer
4. Paisandisia archon
5. Rynchophorus palmarum
6. Oryctes agamemnon

According to an article on the international SOSPALM website

Palm Weevil – About

The red palm weevil has been with us since the early 2000s, and while at first the problem began mainly in plantations and with farmers, today (and in recent years in particular) the red palm weevil is already attacking cities (there are many cities that choose to plant palm trees even though environmentally this is a mistake – they do not provide shade and they drink a lot of water) and private yards.

The Red Palm Weevil – About

It harms, destroys and creates great economic damage.

The red palm weevil (RPW) is a devastating pest that attacks and destroys palm trees. It originated in Southeast Asia, but since we are one small global village, the weevil has reached many other parts of the world through international trade. The weevil is a serious problem in many countries where palm trees are grown, and in Israel it has been detected in widespread distribution since the early 2000s. In the US, for comparison, it was first identified in 1989 in Florida.


The adult weevil is about 1-2 cm long and reddish-brown in color. The larvae are white with a brown head and can be up to 3 cm long. The larvae feed on the soft tissue of the palm tree trunk, which ultimately leads to the death of the tree.

There are several ways to get rid of the red palm weevil – cutting down the tree from above (a wasteful, expensive method that also harms the environment), injecting the tree trunk (the most effective method used worldwide with great success), traps (which do not replace pesticides but help monitor the problem), pruning and applying weevil repellents, burning and cutting down.

What are palm weevil traps?

Many pest traps use the same principle. Pheromone – a substance that attracts the weevil to enter the trap (and get stuck) and by doing so we can identify (before signs appear on the tree) whether there is a problem with the red palm weevil or not. The trap is very effective in cases where there are few palm trees and is not suitable for widespread use in agriculture.

A tip worth knowing for life – how does the aforementioned pheromone work? By a scent produced by the female weevil that attracts the males. Once the males are infected and are in the trap, the females can no longer reproduce and come to Zion Goel.

Remember that traps are not meant to replace treatment, but they can identify problems in the early stages before problems appear on the tree.

Symptoms of damage from the red palm weevil

The red palm weevil is a destructive pest that damages and destroys palm trees. There are several ways to get rid of the red palm weevil, but the best way is to prevent it from attacking your palm tree in the first place. You can do this by regularly checking your palm tree for signs of infestation (using palm weevil pheromone traps). If you find an infested palm tree, treat it before it’s too late.

One of the most obvious signs of red palm weevil damage is the presence of large, round holes in the trunk of the palm tree.
These holes are caused by adult weevils that penetrate the wood to lay their eggs.
The eggs hatch into larvae that feed on the inside of the tree, causing more widespread damage.
When the larvae become adults, they will leave the tree and leave large exit holes on the tree trunk.

Other signs of red palm weevil damage include discharge at the base of the trunk or around the exit holes, yellowing or browning leaves, and reduced fruit production.

The Red Palm Weevil – Summary

The red palm weevil is a destructive pest that can attack and destroy palm trees, causing tens of thousands of shekels in damage to farmers and municipalities, and lesser damage to individuals, but mostly mental anguish. If you weren’t aware of the dangers and problems of the palm weevil, that’s fine, but now that you know there is an effective, cheap and targeted solution – there’s no way you can ignore the issue.

The best way is to prevent weevils from attacking in the first place (by setting traps and observing the tree). The second best way is to perform a tree trunk injection treatment – one that does not harm the environment, is intended for the tree, does not leave pesticide residues, and can be performed repeatedly with just one drilling.

Red Palm Weevil – Frequently Asked Questions