The Wind Topples a Palm Tree Affected by the Weevil in Alicante

The wind, originating from the Herminia storm, which battered Alicante in recent days, has toppled a palm tree on one of the main avenues of the Pau 1-Juan Pablo II neighbourhood.

The specimen, located at the beginning of Médico Ricardo Ferre Avenue, one of the closest to the Red Bridge; fell onto the median strip separating the lanes of the road. Fortunately, no damage to the road or vehicles occurred during the incident.

Municipal sources confirm to TodoAlicante that the palm tree was "damaged" by the red weevil plague. As a result, the tree could not withstand the gusts of wind and fell to the ground.

It was this Thursday when workers from the municipal service of parks and gardens, Brota Alicante, attended this avenue in the Pau 1-Juan Pablo II neighbourhood to remove the specimen and inspect the remaining palm trees.

Due to the attacks of the red weevil, which have affected other palm trees, municipal workers have felled another specimen to ensure the safety of the road and the traffic that connects the neighbourhood with the Gran Vía and the centre of Alicante.

The red weevil plague has been present in Spain since the 1990s. Various palm trees across the peninsula, including those in the province of Alicante, have fallen victim to this insect.

The situation is "alarming," according to experts. The spread of the weevil is rapid, as it lays between 200 and 600 eggs per insect on different palm tree specimens.

The trees in the Pau 1-Juan Pablo II neighbourhood of Alicante are not the only ones affected. The Alicante City Council detected symptoms of the red weevil in about fifteen palm trees on Dénia Avenue.

Last summer, the municipal service Brota Alicante replanted new specimens of these trees in the median strip, after removing those affected by the red weevil plague that plagues Alicante's flora.

In addition to the red weevil plague, a new threat looms over Alicante's palm trees: the borer caterpillar ('Paysandisia archon'). This insect, native to warm regions, can survive complete freezing.

Researchers from the UMH have warned about a new plague - endemic to South America - that threatens Alicante's palm trees and province; its effects are being studied to design more effective control strategies.