Chemical management

  • In attacked palms observe for the bore holes and seal them except the top most one.
  • Through the top most hole, pour 1% carbaryl (20 gm) or 0.2 % trichlorphon @ one litre per palm using a funnel. Then plug this hole and if needed repeat after one week.
  • When the pest infestation is through the crown, clean the crown and slowly pour the insecticidal suspension.
  • In case of entry of weevil through the trunk, the hole in trunk may be plugged with cement / tar. A slanting hole is made with the aid of an auger and the insecticide solution is poured with funnel.
  • Fill the crown and the axils of top most three leaves with a mixture of fine sand and neem seed powder or neem seed kernel powder (2:1) once in three months to prevent the attack of rhinoceros beetle damage in which the red palm weevil lays eggs.
  • Root feeding with monocrotophos 10 ml mixed with water 10 ml. (Do not harvest the nuts for the next 45 days).
  • Coconut log traps: Setting up of attractant traps (mud pots) containing sugarcane molasses 2½ kg or toddy 2½ litres (or pineapple or sugarcane activated with yeast or molasses) + acetic acid 5 ml + yeast 5 g + longitudinally split tender coconut stem/ logs of green petiole of leaves of 30 numbers in one acre to trap adult red palm weevils in large numbers. Incorporate any of the insecticide to each trap to kill the weevils trapped.
  • Pheremone trap: Install pheromone trap @ one trap per ha
  •      Specialized buckets with 3 to 4 holes are made, the bucket is wound with coconut fibre/ jute sack, so that the pests can enter.
  •     The lure (Ferrolure) is suspended inside the bucket and one lit of water is added along with 100g pineapple/ sugarcane, 2 g yeast and 2 g Carbaryl in the bucket.
  •        The bait buckets are placed in the farm where infestation is more.

  •      After a week the water is checked for the trapped beetles & re filled to prevent mosquitoes breeding.