the red palm weevil and other pests - possible biological solutions for the protection and early recognition of our palms and exotic plants

[Mazat]

we saw the devastating effects of the red palm weevil for the first time during our vacation in italy in 2017 at CIDP. we were very shocked.
at that time we had already had good private experience with nematodes, i.e. with biological control of a pest. it always worked perfectly, as with the fungus gnat and snails. today we found this link and combined with the latest technology of early detection (link below), these are perhaps approaches that work naturally without chemicals or in combination. in any case, it may be a possibility. the costs were kept within reasonable limits for us, the results were very good. the pest was gone after application. here are the links:

https://www.biobestgroup.com/about

this group of companies has several branches in many countries and contact persons

https://www.spektrum.de/news/ruesselkaefer-plage-der-palmenretter-aus-jordanien/2157702

title:The palm savior from Jordan with the latest technology

[Phoenikakias]

I fear nematodes won't work efficiently during the hot summer months and their application is connected with many requirements (e.g. not a sunny day -in summer? Lmfao-, temperature not above 30C-ditto-, not high pressure during spraying- how the hell am I supposed to reach the apex of an old tall palm? Even a telescopic pole is usually only 4 m long and I am bound to attach with duck tape a second 4m long poll at the beginning  of the first one and the whole system is just not handy-). Nematodes are outrageously expensive, I used to pay for 500.000.000 together with chitosan 220 € (and that was a wholesale price) per  application and application should be repeated every month. With same money I can buy the chemicals needed for two years! And last but not least, nematodes, in order to stay alive, should be stored at a temperature between 4 and 8 C! Now, are we serious? How can I be sure that in all transaction stages (manufacturer, transporter, importer-wholesaler, retailers), especially during summer, nematodes had been stored properly? In fact I am quite mistrustful...

[UK_Palms]

The only way to beat the Weevil at this point is to either plant palms that are not susceptible to attacks (there isn’t many options - Chamaerops one of the only ones for Med region) or for scientists to create some kind of disease that effects the weevil, so they can contaminate some and then release them to spread it to others in the wild, which either makes them infertile or get some kind of terminal illness. This is unlikely to happen however, but could be explored in the future.

I think Chamaerops can be attacked as well even by the weevil, although it is not commonly used as a host by RPW. Either way the outlook is bleak for the Mediterranean, Black Sea and western France. I think southern England will do well to keep it out by 2030. It is now present in areas that get colder winter temps than London and summers of equal warmth, so that does not bode well for the south of England. They may have to create some kind of biological control method in the lab.

[Silas_Sancona]

For every " pest " insect, there is always a Biological solution. 

That said, esp. in the case of insects that are transported to somewhere new,  far from their native origins,  you have to be very careful about what  other bugs  ..or other organisms... are introduced into these " new ' areas  and the evaluation process - to be sure the organism that is brought in to control the " bad " bug(s) does not cause it's own problem(s)..  Cane Toads, among other " mistakes of good intention  ",  are good examples.. Cane Toads were introduced to areas outside of their native origin to control certain Beetles.. They then became their own problem by gobbling up much more than just the insect they were supposed to control.

In the case of RPW, there are likely animals in it's native area that do keep it's numbers in check.  Far removed from there?  ..would the control organism become the next nightmare?, ...if it can even adapt to a new area..   ...Is one of the first questions that is thought of when researchers look into such a solution..

As far as SAPW, since it is already native to the Americas, there are likely animals ( other bugs, or birds esp. ) that are familiar with it,  just maybe not in the new areas it is expanding into  -yet...  esp. if the locally native animals don't ever migrate to areas where SAPW is well established/ classed as a long- term endemic..

In time, in the new areas it is wandering into, it will be the next addictive junk food fad among whatever local animals develop a taste for it..

While not always a 100% guarantee, in many cases, it is true as well that the worst impacts of a new pest's arrival occur shortly after it has been introduced / expands into a new area on it's own.. Over time, as host material becomes less available and local critters acquire a taste for something new, ...if that trouble maker doesn't possess some chemical or physical attribute that would deter predation,   the negative impact(s) from the bad organism can start to level off over time.

In some cases,  Using Imported Red Fire Ants for this example, there can be other non native " pests " ( Big Headed Ants in this case ) that can out compete the more impactful pest.. While annoying and problematic in their own way, Big Headed Ants don't sting, thus, less of a direct concern to both wildlife and people in the areas where they were introduced.


The one thing i always get a good laugh from?  folks who assume using chemicals is the only -and best- solution..  Chemical control = Not a good solution, by a long shot..
 

If there is one group of organisms that will forever outwit and out live chemical control,  ..it is insects,  ...a fair number of them anyway.. By the same token, chemicals kill the good bugs / other critters you'd want around to fend off the bad bugs.. ..who just build up more tolerance to X Y or Z chemical " Band-Aid " 

Good bugs can also develop the same tolerance of course,  though maybe not as quickly as would please the unhappy, demanding human..

[Than]

I agree with Silas, no chemical solution is ever a good solution. And we should not be so selfish as to justify killing native fauna, local bugs, for the sake of our hobby. If a palm succumbs to the red weevil, so be it. Until a biological solution is found.

[Mazat]

52 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Für jedes „schädliche“ Insekt gibt es immer eine biologische Lösung. 

Das heißt, insbesondere Bei Insekten, die an einen neuen Ort, weit weg von ihrem ursprünglichen Ursprungsort, verbracht werden, muss man sehr vorsichtig sein, welche anderen Insekten oder Organismen in diese „neuen“ Gebiete eingeführt werden und wie der Bewertungsprozess abläuft – um sicherzustellen, dass der Organismus, der zur Bekämpfung der „schlechten“ Insekten eingesetzt wird, nicht selbst Probleme verursacht. Aga-Kröten sind neben anderen „Fehlern in guter Absicht“ gute Beispiele. Aga-Kröten wurden in Gebiete außerhalb ihres ursprünglichen Ursprungsortes eingeführt, um bestimmte Käfer zu bekämpfen. Sie wurden dann zu einem eigenen Problem, indem sie viel mehr verschlangen als nur die Insekten, die sie bekämpfen sollten.

Im Fall von RPW gibt es wahrscheinlich Tiere in seinem ursprünglichen Gebiet, die seine Population in Schach halten. Weit entfernt von dort? Würde der Kontrollorganismus zum nächsten Albtraum werden? ...wenn er sich überhaupt an ein neues Gebiet anpassen kann. ...ist eine der ersten Fragen, die sich Forscher stellen, wenn sie eine solche Lösung in Betracht ziehen.

Was SAPW betrifft, da es bereits in der In Amerika gibt es wahrscheinlich Tiere (insbesondere andere Insekten oder Vögel), die damit vertraut sind, vielleicht nur in den neuen Gebieten, in denen es sich ausbreitet  – noch nicht … vor allem, wenn die einheimischen Tiere nicht jemals in Gebiete ziehen, in denen SAPW gut etabliert ist bzw. als langfristig endemisch eingestuft wird …

Mit der Zeit wird es in den neuen Gebieten, in denen es sich ausbreitet, der nächste süchtig machende Junkfood-Trend für alle einheimischen Tiere sein, die auf den Geschmack kommen …

Auch wenn es keine 100%ige Garantie dafür gibt, ist es in vielen Fällen wahr, dass die schlimmsten Auswirkungen eines neuen Schädlings auftreten, kurz nachdem er eingeführt wurde bzw. sich von selbst in einem neuen Gebiet ausbreitet … Wenn mit der Zeit Wirtsmaterial knapper wird und die einheimischen Tiere auf den Geschmack kommen … und der Unruhestifter nicht über die chemischen oder physikalischen Eigenschaften verfügt, die ihn vor Fressfeinden abschrecken, können die negativen Auswirkungen des schädlichen Organismus mit der Zeit nachlassen.

In manchen Fällen, wie beispielsweise bei importierten Roten Feuerameisen, können andere nicht heimische Schädlinge (in diesem Fall Großkopfameisen) die gefährlicheren Schädlinge verdrängen. Großkopfameisen sind zwar auf ihre Art lästig und problematisch, stechen aber nicht und stellen daher für Wildtiere und Menschen in den Gebieten, in denen sie eingeführt wurden, kein unmittelbares Problem dar.


Worüber ich mich immer wieder lustig mache? Leute, die meinen, Chemikalien seien die einzige und beste Lösung. Chemische Schädlingsbekämpfung = bei weitem keine gute Lösung.
 

Wenn es eine Gruppe von Organismen gibt, die chemische Bekämpfungsmittel für immer überlisten und überflügeln wird, dann sind es Insekten, und zwar eine ganze Menge davon. Umgekehrt töten Chemikalien die guten Insekten/anderen Lebewesen, die man gerne in der Nähe hätte, um die schlechten Insekten abzuwehren, die einfach eine größere Toleranz gegenüber dem chemischen „Pflaster“ XY oder Z aufbauen. 

Natürlich können auch gute Insekten die gleiche Toleranz entwickeln, wenn auch vielleicht nicht so schnell, wie es dem unglücklichen, anspruchsvollen Menschen gefallen würde.

thank you very much for your explanations of the connections and also the example of the fire ants with the big-headed ants. 
last year i had a colleague's garden cleaned and she had red wood ants (protected by us) and someone had emptied some liquid over the heap of pine needles when we were away. in any case, the ants were no longer there the next time. i asked the colleague if she had done it and she told me she didn't know who it was.
however, i discovered a slight elevation and a small mound near the section of her property. i was so happy about it and brought the rest of the pine needles and it was a big pile from time to time, so the pile grew again. i got stung, which was somehow good, especially for my right hand, which i had injured as a child.

when i have ants in the apartment from the balcony i sprinkle baking soda on possible passages and the ants stay away.