Sunday, August 28, 2011

Berry Season


Our palm trees are at risk. A small asian beetle is killing them by feeding on the central part of the trunk. In most cases there are no exterior signs, so you don't notice it until they just collapse. Hundreds have already been cut down in the Algarve, southern Portugal, the most affected area so far.

27 comments:

brattcat said...

look at that abundance! how are the 'berries' used?
those asian beetles are creating havoc in new england too, though they are not after palm trees here.

Unknown said...

They aren't, Brattcat.

cieldequimper said...

Oh I hope they can find some sort of way to let these beauties survive...

Birdman said...

Yikes!

Unknown said...

Ciel, actually they have been treating them in public places, the problem is that there are hundreds or thousands in private yards and gardens. One infested palm tree is enough to contaminate others as far as 20kms. These beetles do reproduce like crazy! :-)

jennyfreckles said...

Amazingly abundant fruit. Are these dates then? The beetle problem sounds heartbreaking. It takes so long to replace mature trees - and in your region the palms provide much-needed shade too.

Sharon said...

I love this close up the the palm fruit. It is so sad that tiny insects can cause so much damage. Sometimes I think that as much as we try to get rid of pesky insects, they will somehow get is in the end.

Leif Hagen said...

BAD news about those darn beetles! Lovely palm tree photo today, JM!

Anonymous said...

The color is beautiful but it's tragic how it is produced.

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Gosh that's horrible JM.. You know sometimes I think the Australian quarantine rules are excessively strict (they really are) but when you hear about this, it's not a bad idea at all. When we get berries like this on the palm tree next door the parrots have a feast, great for photos.

Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.com said...

Very sorry to learn of the insect problem. Hopefully there are natural predators who can be used without containing other ecological problems.

There is an insect that is attacking oleander plants in Southern California and if it moves into Arizona, it will threaten the popular hedges that people use for privacy between their yards in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.

Sylvia K said...

Terrific capture! And the beetle problem is no small matter! If it isn't politicians, it's bugs and both can really mess with good life! Hope we all find a solution to both problems! Have a great week, JM!

Sylvia

VP said...

This is bad, I hope they will find a cure. We have so many palm trees here, it would be a disaster...

Sérgio Pontes said...

Vi no outro dia nas noticias, de facto é pena

Carolina Louback said...

Uma bela árvore, pena o risco. Será que há o que se fazer?

Randy said...

I hope that they are able to save a majority of the trees. Beautiful shot.

Maude Lynn said...

I hope that something can be done to save them.

Beautiful shot!

Jack said...

Palms are so common around the world, if scientists are not successful in finding a way to kill the beetles, the consequences will be huge.

Babzy.B said...

wow, great capture , is there a way to eradicate these beetles ?

Joan Elizabeth said...

It is horrid when diseases and pests get into trees .. whole avenues or previously majestic trees can die. I hope they find a way to stop the march of this nasty little beetle.

Dina said...

That's very very sad about your palm trees.
Good luck fighting that beetle.

Halcyon said...

They have these asian beetles in Toronto too, but I guess they feed on different types of trees here. Sorry about your palms. They looked like they were nice.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

That's very sad news. Those little bugs can do so much damage. The berries look like a shower of gold. Beautiful.

irinapictures said...

Same here, but with pine trees. Some never stopping insects drink life from the woods. Horrible.

nathalie in Avignon said...

Are these dates edible, or just decorative? Sorry to hear about the beetle that is killing those palm trees. Globalisation is doing a lot of damage, and not only to humans.

Small City Scenes said...

How did this beetle get introduced in Portugal? It is a real shame. MB

Francisca said...

Sad to hear about this invasion of beetles.