Malta lost 1,744 palm trees to weevil since 2013

1,744 palm trees had to be felled between 2013 and 7 April of this year due to their being infected by the red palm weevil, environment minister Leo Brincat revealed.

Information tabled in response to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Toni Bezzina shows that 596 palm trees were felled in 2013, 474 in 2014, 537 in 2015 and 137 so far this year.

The red palm weevil bores into palm trees and is capable of killing a tree within a matter of months. It is also capable of flying up to kilometres and of infecting other trees.

The Plant Health Directorate has previously issued guidelines to combat weevil infection. These include guidelines to fishermen to treat palm fronds with insecticide before creating ring-nets out of them and to Palm Sunday planners to keep the palm fronds’ diameter smaller than 5cm.