Early Signs of Infestation
The weevil lives most of its life inside the trunk, so signs often appear late. Inspect your palm regularly and keep an eye out:
- Small holes in the trunk or at the base of the fronds, from which liquid sometimes comes out.
- Sticky brown secretions with a fermented odor ooze down the trunk.
- Moist fibrous sawdust around the holes or at the base of the palm tree, which is the remains of larval gnawing.
- The middle fronds wither or yellow and break easily, and the heart may tilt in advanced stages.
- A faint gnawing sound you hear when you place your ear against the trunk in silence is a sign of active larvae.
- Withered offshoots around the mother palm, as offshoots are among the parts most susceptible to infestation.
- A reddish-brown insect with a long proboscis, found near palm trees or inside traps.
Why is the weevil spreading in the cities of the Hijaz?
Palm trees are part of every farm, rest house, and many homes in the Hijaz, and this makes the weevil a recurring problem:
- The density of palm trees in Madinah, AlUla and the outskirts of Yanbu, where the farms are adjacent and the insect moves between them by flying.
- Transferring seedlings between farms and nurseries without inspection is one of the most prominent ways the infestation spreads.
- Untreated pruning wounds release a scent that attracts adult insects to lay eggs.
- Excessive watering around the base of the palm tree increases humidity and facilitates infestation.
- Dead or neglected palm trees remain a reservoir for larvae from which a new generation emerges.
- Moderate temperatures in spring and autumn increase the activity and flight of adult insects.
Damages
The red palm weevil does not harm humans directly, but its damage to the palm tree is significant:
- Palm damage to the palm’s core: The larvae burrow tunnels inside the trunk and weaken its tissues.
- Death of the palm tree: If the infestation reaches the growing tip, the palm tree may die, and it is often not possible to save it at this stage.
- Risk of falling: The hollow palm tree may break in the wind, and this is a danger in yards and parking lots.
- Transmission of infestation: The infected palm tree is a source of infestation for those around it.
- Crop loss on farms and the cost of removing dead palm trees.
Our step-by-step method
- Inspection: We inspect each palm for holes, secretions, and fibrous debris, listen for gnawing sounds, and determine the severity of infestation.
- Classification: We divide the palm trees into healthy, infected (which can be treated), and severely infected (which should be removed).
- Clean the affected area: Remove infected fibers and sawdust around the holes to expose the tunnels.
- Trunk injection: We inject a specific pesticide into the trunk through specific openings, so that it reaches the larvae in their tunnels, then we close the openings.
- Preventive treatment: Spray the bases of fronds and offshoots of healthy neighboring palm trees when needed.
- Pheromone traps: We distribute traps that attract adult insects in order to monitor their presence and reduce their numbers, and we track what they catch.
- Follow-up and reporting: We re-examine after 4–6 weeks and deliver a report on the condition of each palm tree to the client portal.
In cases of widespread infestations affecting multiple farms, we recommend coordinating with the relevant agricultural authorities in the region, because effective control here requires collective action, not just one farm.
Treatment by Location
| Location | Method | Material Type | When will it be safe? |
| The trunk of the infected palm tree | Injection inside the tunnels, then sealing the openings. | Product name: systemic insecticide for injection | The product remains inside the trunk. Do not harvest fruit before the safety interval: . |
| Frond bases and offshoots | protective topical spray | residual pesticide | After 3–4 hours and the spray has dried |
| pruning wounds | Covering wounds after cutting | Product name: wound-treatment product | immediately |
| Farm perimeter | pheromone traps | Pheromone attractant without spray | immediately |
| Palm trees in courtyards and homes | Examination and injection when needed | Systemic insecticide for injection | After 3–4 hours for the perimeter of the palm tree |
| Dead palm | Cut off and destroy the affected parts | Without pesticide or spraying of the stump remains | After the removal is complete |
Prices for red palm weevil control
| Type of service | Approximate price range |
| Inspection and treatment of 1–3 palm trees in a house | |
| Injecting the single infected palm tree | According to the severity of infestation |
| A rest area with multiple palm trees | |
| farm | Seasonal contract based on the number of palm trees |
The price varies depending on the number and height of the palm trees, the degree of infestation, and the number of traps. Calculate your estimate using the price calculator.
Before and after service
Before the service: If possible, stop watering around the palm trees the day before your visit, and keep vehicles away from leaning palms. Inform us of the date of your last pruning and any palm trees you suspect may be diseased.
After the service: Do not remove the injection nozzle covers or wash the sprayed frond bases for 24 hours. Adhere to the 3–4 hour evacuation period for adults and 6 hours for infants, pregnant women, the elderly, those with respiratory conditions, and pets around the sprayed palms. Do not harvest the fruit before the specified safety period has elapsed.
Refer to the pre- and post-pest control instructions for details.
Warranty
Our red palm weevil control service includes a 30-day guarantee on palms treated with injections. If signs of new activity appear on the same palm during the guarantee period, we will return and treat it free of charge. The guarantee does not cover palms classified as having advanced infestations and which we have recommended be removed, nor does it cover new infestations on untreated palms. Details are available on the guarantee page.
Honest protection for your palm trees
- Check the palm trees monthly, especially the offshoots, the bases of the fronds, and newly planted palm trees.
- Trim in a timely manner and with a clean tool, leaving a short portion of the base of the frond without wounding the stem.
- Treat pruning wounds immediately and do not leave them exposed.
- Do not overwater around the base of the palm tree, and do not let water collect there.
- Do not transfer seedlings from another farm without inspecting them.
- Get rid of dead palm trees by cutting them down and destroying them, and don't leave them lying around in the farm because they will nurture new generations.
- Do not collect cut fronds near healthy palm trees for extended periods.
These steps greatly reduce the chances of infestation. However, if you hear a gnawing sound or see brown discharge, external spraying will not reach the larvae inside the trunk. In this case, you need to control the red palm weevil with specialized injections and act quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can the infected palm tree be saved?
In early and moderate cases, the tree can often be saved with injections and monitoring. If the infestation reaches the growing tip or the palm is leaning, the chances of saving it decrease, and removal may be recommended.
Q: What is the benefit of pheromone traps?
It attracts adult insects, revealing their presence and reducing their numbers. However, it is a monitoring and support tool and does not treat the infected palm from within.
Q: Is it permissible to eat dates from a palm tree that has been injected with pesticides?
Adhere to the safety period we specify, which depends on the material and the injection date. We strive to schedule injections away from the harvest season whenever possible.
Q: How do I get rid of a dead, infected palm tree?
The palm tree is cut down, divided, and its infected parts are destroyed; it is not left in the farm. We can carry this out or supervise it.
Q: Do you treat a single palm tree in the house yard?
Yes. Palm trees in homes are affected just like palm trees in farms, and we inspect and treat each palm tree individually, with recommendations for neighbors if there are palm trees adjacent to it.
Q: How often do I need an inspection?
Farms benefit from periodic visits within the seasonal protection plan, and homes only need periodic inspection with your monthly monitoring.
Areas We Serve
The service is available in the following cities: Madinah via the Al-Arid branch (0546267778), AlUla, Yanbu, Taif, Makkah via the Al-Laith Road branch (0543545708), and Jeddah via the Al-Mishrifah branch (0543627774). For other farm pest control, see Scorpion and Snake Control.