Resident weevil strikes palm trees, hundreds uprooted

A posh community in Emirates Living is uprooting hundreds of palm trees for public safety. Weakened at the roots by the relentless attack of a pesky little beetle called weevil, the trees face the risk of falling down and injuring passers-by. Roberto Kauffmann, Chairman of the Lakes Owners Association Interim Board, said there was no option. "A lot of our palm trees have died in the last couple of years. Since they enhance the beauty of our landscape we will replace them soon. "Emaar is pro-active in trying to reduce the infestation of the beetles. They have set a trap for every five trees to avoid any infection to the trees," said Kauffmann The palm tree infection is rampant across the UAE. Invariably the culprits are the Red Date Palm weevil and the rhinoceros beetle. The cost of replacing a palm tree varies from Dh1,800 to Dh2,400 depending on the size, said Vinish Kumar, Manager-Operations, Opal Landscaping LLC. "Communities in Dubai should take preventive measures to protect palm trees from infestation. Once they get infected, they weaken from the roots and fall off. It's a safety issue," said Kumar. Thomas Maley Craig, Landscaping Manager from Plantorama LLC, said palm trees in the country have been facing the beetle problem for years. "A lot of date palms have been planted around the city so the population of the bugs has also exploded. The bug is about two inches long and bores into the tree to lay eggs, which turn into grubs. The grubs eat the inside of the tree which can eventually die or fall over. Infected plants can live on for many years without dying. "They are living things after all and living things die. Pesticides that kill the grubs in palm trees need to be administered immediately after the infection," said Craig. Saddam Hussain, Production Manager, Wahat Al Sahraa Nurseries, Desertgroup, said the bugs thrive in Dubai. Many pesticides which could have destroyed them are banned in the country for environmental concerns. "Dubai's hot and humid conditions suit these bugs perfectly." Ahmad Mohammad Abdul Karim, Director of Public Parks and Horticulture Department, Dubai Municipality, said: "The Red Date Palm Weevil is not a major problem in date palm landscaped areas because the trees are regularly inspected by our plant protection engineers."