Must I report palm weevils if I spot them in my French garden?
Larvae of bugs can burrow deep into trees and destroy them
Palm weevils are a threat to plant biodiversity
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Reader Question: Are palm weevils a serious issue in France? What must I do if I spot one?
Palm weevils have been present in France since 2006 and are now known to exist across all of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur (Paca) and Corsica regions, as well as Pyrénées-Orientales, Hérault, Aude, and Gard departments.
They impact various species of palm tree, including those found in the south of France.
Weevils lay eggs on the outside of the tree, with larvae then hatching from these a few weeks later and burrowing into the inside of the tree, which can lead to irreversible damage.
Treatment of affected areas of trees may only be possible at an early stage; in other cases the only way to guarantee the end of an infestation is to destroy the trees.
Palm weevils look like a rust-coloured beetle, about 2.5cm long and in French are called charançon rouge des palmiers or charançon palmiste.
Note that the name sometimes is shown with ‘Olivier’ in brackets - this in fact has nothing to do with olive trees (un olivier) but is the surname of the person who first categorised the species.
What must owners who spot weevils do?
In 2010, a decree required all owners of palm trees (public and private) to regularly monitor their trees for palm weevils and declare if they are infected.
This was updated with a new decree in 2019 (the most recent) which can be read here. It applies across all areas of France where palms are present.
It is advisable to check them at least once a month.
There are a variety of tell-tale signs of infestation, not limited to spotting the beetles themselves, including ‘cuts’ in the tree or signs of the palms being gnawed, presence of cocoons or a brown-coloured liquid.
If you suspect infestation, you should notify your local DRAAF (Direction régionale de l'Alimentation, de l'Agriculture et de la Forêt) immediately.
You can find the corresponding form to fill out and address for your DRAAF via an internet search for ‘DRAAF + the name of your region’.
When a sighting is confirmed, a 100m zone around the palm tree in question is set up, with all trees in this area under suspicion of being infected.
If palm weevils are sighted outside this zone, its range can be extended, until it covers entire communes.
You can contact your local mairie to find up to date information over which communes are in an affected zone.
If palm trees you own fall within such a zone, they can only be worked on or treated by a DRAAF-authorised worker.
It may be possible to treat only infected areas, but if the infestation is too extensive, destruction of the tree may be necessary.
