The advance of Red weevil It continues to leave its mark on palm tree rows and private gardens, forcing administrations and property owners to intensify control efforts to avoid risks and losses to urban trees.
In different parts of Spain and Uruguay they are combined Transplants, withdrawals, treatments and innovation technological, with specific regulations and protocols to reduce the spread of this beetle that especially affects the canary palm (Phoenix canariensis) and has already made the leap to other species.
Spain: Works, surveillance and obligations to prevent expansion
Alhama de Murcia is transplanting 35 palm trees coming from the treatment plant, relocating them to Ginés Campos and Antonio Fuertes avenues to recover the image of the main road, where in recent years they were removed until 60 copies due to the plagueThe operation has a municipal budget of 37.000 euros, including the supply and use of trees from other areas.
The works are organized in three phases and involve partial cuts of lanes; the specimens have gone through a period of adaptation to strengthen their roots and increase the guarantees of transplantation, a key measure when intervening in large palm trees in urban environments.
To stop the dispersion, the City Council is installing control traps in these Phoenix canariensis, one of the most attractive varieties for the insect. These measures aim to stabilize populations and prevent outbreaks in highly exposed rows.
In Granada, residents of CaserÃa de Montijo have sent a photo complaint due to the damage to a palm tree in the neighborhood, calling for swift municipal intervention. The citizen alert once again puts the focus on early detection in residential areas.
In Tenerife, any intervention on the Canary Island date palm requires prior authorization from the Council and must be carried out by accredited companies that apply correct techniques and phytosanitary protocols. The process is mandatory even for routine pruning on private properties.
Costs also weigh: a Standard pruning costs around 200 euros, but waste management—due to the risk of spreading the weevil—can cost up to €400-500 per operation. With two or three pruning operations per year, many owners can cover around 1.500 euros per year, since the remains must be transferred to authorized centers and cannot be disposed of as conventional green waste.
Added to this is the fact that it is not possible cut down or move a palm tree without permission; donating or moving a plant requires authorization and assuming the cost of the operation. If the palm tree dies, authorities can open a investigation into the cause, and transplants also require administrative approval, reflecting the cultural and ecological importance of the species on the islands.
Uruguay: institutional response, technology, and removal of specimens
Detected in 2022 in Canelones, the red palm weevil spread to Montevideo. Although its main host is the canary palm treeSpecies such as Butiá (Butia odorata) and Pindó (Syagrus romanzoffiana) have also been affected. Their silent nature and high reproductive capacity make control difficult.
The capital has about 31.000 palm trees, of which 22.000 are on private land. Since 2022, 500 have been removed and 2.000 have been treated; now it is estimated that there are about 800 public lands to be removed and it is expected to reach 600 casualties before the end of the year in Bulevar Artigas, Juan Carlos Blanco, Rambla, Parque Rodó, Parque Batlle and Prado. Some of the stipes are crushed to reuse biomass in composting, and continuity is anticipated in 2026.
The plan includes observational surveys and georeferencing, and plans are underway to use artificial intelligence to identify compromised specimens. The goal is not total eradication—which is unrealistic—but reduce presence and act quickly when symptoms appear, since in many cases the damage is irreversible when detected.
With a large part of the trees in private hands, the mayor's office enabled the 092 250 260 for citizens to report affected palm trees and receive technical recommendations, in addition to the list of authorized companies. The MGAP maintains a withdrawal protocol which seeks to prevent new outbreaks during the work.
In Canelones, students from Rural School No. 98 El Tigre de Tala developed a detector device with a contact microphone that recognizes the insect's activity and activates a visual alarm, a solution born after the loss of several palm trees at the educational center.
The departmental government reports that it inoculated 1.000 palm trees with an 80% survival rate and plans to inoculate 1.000 more. It invests approximately $4.700.000 annually in semiannual endotherapy processes and monitoring through georeferencing. The first outbreaks were detected in the Quinta Capurro de Santa LucÃa, mainly in Phoenix canariensis.
The combination of transplant works, regulated pruning, massive withdrawals, preventive treatments and technological solutions show that the fight against the red palm weevil It requires institutional coordination, sustained resources and the involvement of residents to protect a landscape heritage that transcends borders.
