Pheromone traps used to control the red palm weevil have been found to be the best method of dealing with the pest since it has formed a strong immunity to chemical pesticides.

Studies conducted by the Arab Agricultural Development Organisation (AADO) showed that chemical pesticides used to control the red palm weevil have also eradicated pests hostile to the weevil.

Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al Jarhi, Bio-control expert in the AADO, said chemical pesticides did not control the red palm weevil in the long run. "The difficulty in detecting the infection of the palm tree at an early stage has delayed the finding of a final solution in controlling the red palm weevil and saving many of the palm trees in the region," he added.

The Gulf has a great wealth of palm trees and their dates are used in a major sweet manufacturing industry. Al Jarhi said, "Many countries in the region have started carrying out an extensive plan to control the red palm weevil to save the dates."

Palm trees are mentioned in the Holy Quran and are considered almost sacred. They were badly affected by the red palm weevil that was imported in the early 1990s in a shipment of palm tree seedlings from Pakistan and India.

Chemical pesticides were used, but lack of understanding of their use and their effect on other insects yielded poor results. Al Jarhi said that pheromone traps are now considered the best way to control the red palm weevil since they attract and kill the insect with the help of the secretions of other insects.

"The secretions of insects of the opposite gender attract the red palm weevil and make it fall into the traps. But if the diseased palm tree were detected at an early stage the results would be even better.

"Chemical pesticides have also harmed the environment and therefore the use of pheromone traps has become the only safe alternative until a means to detect the infected palm tree is found," Al Jarhi said. Pheromone traps provide a means of early detection of infection as they attract any weevil that may be living in the tree.