Corfu: ‘Final Curtain’ for palm trees damaged by red weevil beetle
palm trees
12 Feb 2018
/ 13:01
CORFU. The last remains of the palm trees blighted by the red weevil beetle parasite (rhynchophorus) are being removed.
The Municipal Green Service has been cutting and removing the blighted tree trunks and roots.
Garitsa Park
The first appearance of the beetle (rhynchophorus) was recorded in India in 1891. It ‘invaded’ Europe via Egypt and Spain in 1993.
The EU issued instructions for it to be declared a quarantine insect 14 years later and, in the meanwhile, the red weevil beetle had spread to several European countries; in Greece it was first recorded in Crete in 2005. It is considered that it spread throughout Greece due, to a great extent, to the mass, uncontrolled importation of palm trees for the 2004 Olympics.
As a natural consequence, this destructive insect made its first appearance in western Greece a few years ago and over the last few years, the beetle has literally devastated the trees in Corfu town, as well as in the countryside, in both public and private locations.
It is not planned to replace the trees this year.
Before the removal of the root.
Garitsa Park
The first appearance of the beetle (rhynchophorus) was recorded in India in 1891. It ‘invaded’ Europe via Egypt and Spain in 1993.
The EU issued instructions for it to be declared a quarantine insect 14 years later and, in the meanwhile, the red weevil beetle had spread to several European countries; in Greece it was first recorded in Crete in 2005. It is considered that it spread throughout Greece due, to a great extent, to the mass, uncontrolled importation of palm trees for the 2004 Olympics.
As a natural consequence, this destructive insect made its first appearance in western Greece a few years ago and over the last few years, the beetle has literally devastated the trees in Corfu town, as well as in the countryside, in both public and private locations.
It is not planned to replace the trees this year.
Before the removal of the root.
