CYPRadar 🇨🇾🌦️ Prickly pear cochineal pest continues to spread across Cyprus despite control efforts
The invasive prickly pear cochineal insect, Dactylopius opuntiae, which feeds on Cyprus' prickly pear cacti, continues to expand its presence nearly a decade after its initial detection in 2016. Confirmed first in the Famagusta district, the pest has spread to Larnaca, Nicosia, and Limassol districts, causing significant damage to prickly pear populations. The agriculture ministry has adopted a "slow-the-spread" strategy, focusing on delaying its advance rather than eradication. This approach aims to allow native predators to adapt or for new control measures to be developed.
The pest's resilience is underpinned by Cyprus' favorable climate and widespread unmanaged prickly pear plants that act as reservoirs. The insect's natural defenses, including a protective waxy coating and toxic secretions, reduce the effectiveness of insecticides and natural predators. Moreover, many potent insecticides have been withdrawn from the EU market, complicating chemical control efforts.
To combat the pest, the ministry advises preventing the transfer of infested plant material, pruning plants, removing infected areas, and using strong water sprays combined with soap or alcohol to break down protective coatings. Research is ongoing to identify more tolerant prickly pear varieties and to explore biological control through introducing predatory beetles that feed on the pest. Despite these efforts, it remains unclear if Cyprus is successfully controlling the insect or merely delaying its spread across the island.
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