The Plant Health Department said that the removal of palm fronds from its tree should be immediately followed by preventive treatments (insecticide treatment and wood filling application) as the Red Palm Weevil is attracted to this fresh damage and uses these fresh cuts for depositing eggs.

The palm tree has several uses other than landscaping and it is a common tradition in August to use the fronds of the Phoenix species in the fishing industry, to use as sheltering grounds for the dolphin fish (lampuka).

The primary focus is on the Canary Palm (Phoenix canariensis), one of the most susceptible palm trees found locally. This is the largest among the palms, having long bright green fronds which have sharp thorns at the base.

Malta, along with other European countries, is being faced with a major pest problem; the Red Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) a palm tree borer capable of killing trees within a short period of months and able to fly long distances. It is important that any palm fronds to be used for such purposes have to originate from red palm weevil-free trees to prevent the spreading of this pest.

The department said the fronds have to be cut as short as possible so as to minimise infective areas which are generally concentrated at the base of the fronds. The base of the cut frond has to be sealed with an appropriate pruning sealant. The palm trees from where the fronds are cut have to be sprayed with an appropriate insecticide. This has to be repeated for three consecutive times in order to protect the trees.

To control the spread of infection by the red palm weevil, palm fronds to be used by fishermen should be collected from a common site where cutting of palm fronds is controlled. In Malta, palm fronds should only be collected from Environmental Landscapes Consortium Limited (ELC) premises, mainly Wied Incita, while in Gozo, palm fronds should only be collected from the Afforestation Section at an approved site after interested persons present a receipt issued by the Fisheries Section in Gozo.

In order to manage the Red Palm Weevil infestation the Plant Health Department is asking for the cooperation of all the people involved in such activities. Stakeholders should abide by Legal Notice 42 of 2009, whereby pruning or any similar activity on susceptible plants, is to be carried out in collaboration with and under the supervision of the department. Any such or similar activity cannot be carried out unless a written approval for such pruning or similar activity has been obtained from the department, not less than 15 days prior to the undertaking of the actual pruning or similar activity to be undertaken.

For any further information one may contact the Plant Health Department at the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs on telephone number 2339-7100.