Look out for these

Anything that might control the invasion of the red palm weevil is worth a try.

One school in Orihuela has been making nesting boxes which will be installed facing south at the top of ten palm trees. The idea is that the boxes will attract European roller birds to nest in them.

These birds are known to migrate from sub-Saharan Africa to the Iberian Peninsula to breed. Their diet consists of large insects,small reptiles, rodents and frogs so the picudo rojo is a natural prey for these birds. Judging by the number of trees that have been destroyed, there should be no shortage of food for the rollers.

At the moment, there is one known pair that nest in the area; the hope is that the boxes will encourage more.