Marbella town hall carries out pest control measures on trees in San Pedro park

Marbella town hall has launched a comprehensive plan of phytosanitary treatments in the Tres Jardines de San Pedro Alcántara park, an initiative aimed at preserving the health and environmental value of one of the town's main green spaces. "The aim is to protect and maintain in optimum condition this space for residents of all ages to enjoy," said the deputy mayor of San Pedro Alcántara, Javier García, who stressed that this is "a commitment to sustainability and responsible management of our natural heritage".

He explained that "over the next few weeks specific interventions will be carried out to combat the pests that are affecting the trees on the site and to guarantee the conservation of its shady and recreational areas".

The work is being carried out using endotherapy, a system of direct injection into the trunk "which allows localised action against each pest without interfering with the normal use of the park and with a lower environmental impact than traditional treatments, as it does not affect other plant species or the environment", García explained. In this phase, pines affected by the 'Tomicus destruens', a pest that perforates the pines at this time of year are being treated, also contributing to control processionary caterpillars.

Work is also being carried out on the 'Phoenix' palm trees, which "are seriously affected by the red palm weevil, whose larvae devour the bud until the specimen dies", García explained. He went on to say that "the cypresses are also being treated with revitalising products against fungi that affect their vigour and growth". He added that "in later phases, other seasonal pests will be tackled, such as the eucalyptus psylla, which is common at the beginning of spring".

García pointed out that "this plan is the start of a comprehensive phytosanitary control and conservation programme that will continue with permanent monitoring by specialised technicians and advisors" and added that "we will evaluate the results by means of sampling and traps installed in different areas of the park, which will allow us to effectively guarantee the sustainability of the tree mass".