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2d ago

Red Palm Weevil Infests Half of Montevideo’s Palms, Spreads Across Eight Regions

Authorities have earmarked almost $700,000 for chemical treatments alongside pheromone traps to stop the pest before it reaches a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

Palm trees stand on Buceo beach in Montevideo, Uruguay, Thursday, June 19, 2025, as authorities continue to battle the red palm weevil, an insect imported from Southeast Asia that devours palm trees.(AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico)
A bird perches on the trunk of a dead palm tress, near Peaje Mendoza, in Florida, Uruguay, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, as thousands of palm trees in the South American country have been devoured by the red palm weevil since its unexplained arrival from Southeast Asia in 2022. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico)
Gardener Maximiliano Arebalo bucks a dead palm tree in Montevideo, Uruguay, Thursday, July 10, 2025, as thousands of palm trees in the South American country have been devoured by the red palm weevil since its unexplained arrival from Southeast Asia in 2022. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico)
Palm trees adorn Parque Rodo in Montevideo, Uruguay, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, as thousands of palm trees in the South American country have been devoured by the red palm weevil since its unexplained arrival from Southeast Asia in 2022. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico)

Overview

  • The insect first appeared in Canelones in 2022 and decimated more than 2,000 palm trees there within a month.
  • A government task force launched in March and Environment Minister Edgardo Ortuño declared the eradication campaign a national priority in May.
  • Montevideo reserved $70,000 for pesticide sprays and trunk injections in Parque Rodó, while Punta del Este authorities allocated $625,000 for tree disposal and lures.
  • Experts warn the red palm weevil is an “invisible pest” whose early infestations often go undetected, undermining quarantine measures.
  • Officials fear the weevil’s unchecked spread could imperil native species in Uruguay’s biosphere reserve adjoining Brazil and spur a wider continental outbreak.