In different cities protocols have been activated to contain the red palm weevil, a pest that causes severe damage and can compromise unique specimens in parks and walks. Coinciding with the Peak flights in October and NovemberMunicipal and regional technicians are reinforcing inspections, treatments, and, when there is no other option, removal of affected trees.
The institutional response combines Endotherapy, nematode release and phytosanitary showers, in addition to surveillance campaigns and warnings to citizens. In parallel, Uruguay confirms presence and adopts strong measures, while Argentina keeps the plague absent and takes extreme precautions afterward suspicions with negative results in Entre Ríos.
Flight season and signs in the canopy
Between October and November The females abandon exhausted palm trees and colonize others, repeating the biological cycle. At this stage, the infestations become more visible: leaves with a brown tone, flattened cup instead of the usual rounded shape and deterioration that can progress rapidly if left untreated.
It is convenient to differentiate the red weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) of the black weevilThe first, of coloration orange-brown with shine and elongated beak, acts in groups and causes damage fast and severeThe second, darker and short beak, is lonely and usually affects flowering palm trees with a more gradual evolution.
Santander intensifies treatments at the Piquío Gardens
After the detection of the plague in November of 2022, the Santander City Council has subjected all publicly owned palm trees to a rigorous treatment programWork began in 2023 and has continued uninterrupted using various control techniques.
En January 2025 the completion of the sixth application of nematodes, And in April was carried out second round of endotherapy, injecting phytosanitary products into the vascular system of the tree. In the most affected specimen of the Piquio Gardens An intensive “shower” type procedure was added directly onto the crown to slow down the progression.
In addition to the usual calendar, the September 25 a was applied specific cure in this palm tree and in other specimens with greater potential risk, with the aim of protect plant heritage of the city facing a plague that has particularly hit the Cantabrian coast.
Llucmajor activates surveillance and treatment in s'Arenal
The Llucmajor City Council has detected two affected palm trees in the area of the s'Arenal beach and has launched a campaign monitoring and controlThe specimens have been signposted and marked to ensure safety and allow treatments to work effectively.
Technicians confirm that these palm trees they do not pose a danger for users and are recoverable thanks to early detection. The Environment Department maintains a permanent surveillance network, with special attention to coastal areas and public parks, to prevent new outbreaks and safeguard urban trees.
Uruguay: Discoveries in Maldonado and removal of specimens in San José
In Piriápolis, a neighbor found a live specimen of red palm weevil on the public road and notified the authorities, who will evaluate the palm tree in his garden. Days earlier, maintenance personnel had detected another individual in the La Cascada ParkThe plague, introduced in 2022, has established itself in several departments (including Maldonado, Montevideo, Canelones, San José and others), and the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries requests report detections outside of these areas to official channels.
The department of Maldonado has allocated more than $ 600.000 to deal with the emergency, with the placement of traps, the intervention of a thousand palm trees through abbreviated bidding and the prohibition of movement and entry of palm trees to limit the spread of the insect.
In San José de Mayo the extraction of 10 palm trees on Aparicio Saravia Boulevard, next to the School No. 53 and High School No. 3, due to the risk associated with structural weakening. To ensure safety, temporary traffic changes and bus lines detours to Route 3 through streets such as Espínola, Vidal, Rivera, Massini, Soriano and Saravia, in addition to the temporary relocation of stops at nearby points.
Argentina: Suspected cases in Entre Ríos have negative results and an active alert
El SENASA intervened in response to a complaint in the city of Federation (Entre Ríos), where two Phoenix canariensis about 20 years old presented compatible symptoms. After sampling and laboratory analysis, the presence of the plague was ruled out, reinforcing the need to sustain the preventive surveillance in a country where the red palm weevil is, for now, absent plague.
The technical teams they geolocated the site, recorded contact information and communicated the result to the complainant. The agency recalls that differentiate the red palm weevil of the black weevil is key to trigger alerts: the first one shows long beak and gregarious behavior; the second, of dark color and robust body, acts alone.
Reporting suspicions is mandatory and can be done in local SENASA offices, through the Argentine National Pest Surveillance and Monitoring System (Sinavimo)or by mail to dief@senasa.gob.ar o WhatsApp 11-3585-9810.
Control methods and street warning signs
Combining endotherapy (injections into the vascular system), nematodes (biological control) and phytosanitary showers on the crown is part of the intensive protocols applied by municipal services, along with monitoring traps and marking of sensitive areas.
For citizens, the most common signs are: decayed and brown coloration of leaves, the flattened cup and noises or sawdust at the base of leaves or in the bud. If you suspect anything, the prudent thing to do is notify immediately to official channels before carrying out pruning or moving that may favor the spread of the insect.
Coordination between administrations and residents, along with continued treatments and early detection, is proving decisive in containing outbreaks, reducing risks on public roads and preserve emblematic palm trees on seafront promenades and urban parks.
