The Institute of Forestry and Nature Conservation (IFCN) reiterated, today, the public appeal to avoid cutting green palm leaves, in order to prevent the proliferation of the beetle Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, detected on Porto Santo Island.
“Cutting them promotes the release of an attraction for the palm beetle and consequently for the laying of its eggs, which will make the pest grow on this island, especially in hot seasons”, warns the IFCN in a press release.
The same note highlights that, “since the detection of this pest, measures considered appropriate to mitigate this problem were immediately implemented, with the application of a highly effective insecticide (treatment carried out by endotherapy)”.
However, the IFCN considers that “complementary mitigating measures must be adopted”, namely: “the ban on the transport of palm trees from the island of Madeira to the island of Porto Santo and, above all, that green leaves are not cut from the palm trees”.
The IFCN assures that, together with local authorities, it has carried out “close surveillance of this problem involving several professionals in order to mitigate this situation”.