Israeli scientists find way to detect weevil infestations with AI, Google

Red palm weevils are a notorious invasive species that are among the worst pests for palm trees. They are devastating in the damage they cause, spread very quickly and are difficult to detect.

By AARON REICH   MAY 27, 2021 17:31

Red palm weevil.(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons) Countries all over the world are battling another major pandemic: Red palm weevils. Originating from Asia, the insect soon made its way across the world and became a major invasive species, wrecking severe havoc on palm trees and other agriculture across the planet.But now, scientists from Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev may have found a way to automatically detect red palm weevil infestations.Read More Related Articles

The red palm weevils have only become more widespread in the last decade. Studies have shown that these weevils target 19 different types of palm trees, making them one of the worst palm tree pests worldwide. These insects tend to go to lay their eggs in trees. Their larvae is actually considered a delicacy in some countries, but farming them is also strictly banned in some places like Vietnam due to the damage they can cause to plantations. This is because of how they grow. After hatching, the larvae eat through the tree as they grow, creating tunnels inside the trees and weakening them, sometimes even causing them to break and completely collapse.A Date palm killed by red palm weevils is seen in Kfar Saba, Israel. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)And with the sheer number of these weevils and how widespread they are, these damages aren’t a minor issue. In Spain and Italy alone, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization has projected that pest management and tree replacement will cost €200 million by 2023.Infestations have happened in Israel before. In 2015, the Tel Aviv Municipality warned of the presence of these insects within the city, and urged homeowners to take measures to protect trees on their property so they don’t become a danger. In 2013, the Agriculture Ministry warned of a possible major infestation throughout the North down to Hadera. The year prior, several trees collapsed due to the weevils, but no one was injured.