Maintenance work and removal of the fruits from the have begun at the Orihuela Palm Grove BIC, according to the Councillor for the Environment, Dámaso Aparicio.

The maintenance contract has been awarded to Actua, Servicios y Medio Ambiente, SL, and is part of the conditioning and annual maintenance work.

After the removal of the fruit, the palm trees will be treated with an authorized phytosanitary so that they are protected against the red weevil.

The councillor says that the weight of the fruit can be as much as an extra 200-250 kg which would be critical in gusts of strong winds or torrential rains.

He explained, “it is a necessary job and we would have liked to have started a few weeks earlier since there has been a thickening of the fruits that, when they fall, cause a lot of dirt in the roads, schools and sports areas, but we are happy to have the capacity to manage it before the start of the new term and thus avoid unnecessary dangers and risks”.

In total, it is expected to carry out treatment on at least 1,318 female and 250 male palms, with the number likely to increase to 1,875 females and 250 more males.