Beetles eating my Foxtail Palms, what to do?

[giddyup]

I have a problem with big black beetles eating the inside of these palms and even have some holes appearing in the trunks where they have eaten through. The palms are lovely and really set off the garden and it would be such a shame to lose them. We have tried putting some poison in the holes but the beetle still continue to eat the palms.

[drtreelove]

The likely suspect is the coconut rhinoceros beetle. And a common associated pest is the red palm weevil that uses the holes started by the rhinoceros beetle to facilitate its own egg laying and larval feeding activity.

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/adap/ASCC_Landgrant/Dr_Brooks/BrochureNo8.pdf

The difficulty for control of an advanced, active infestation, is that the feeding larvae are deep in the holes and cannot be reached with a contact insecticide. But since these are ornamental palms and not a food product, you could consider using a systemic insecticide. But systemics can translocate into the fruit, so I caution others to rule out systemic treatment for edibles, like coconut and oil palms and maybe betel nut.

You will not be able to reverse the damage that has been done, and if the infestation and damage is extensive you may start looking at replacement. Preventive treatment is always more practical and effective than trying to stop an active infestation. See note on the rhinocerous beetle sanitation aspect in the linked article. Start a regular preventive maintenance strategy. General note: Always try to learn the common pests and disease profiles for the plants you grow, so that you can work from a preventive standpoint and not be surprised and devastated by unexpected infections and infestations.

Here is what I would do for landscape palms: Buy 3 insecticide products, and a ladder and hand held pump up sprayer if you don't have these: (Disclaimer: I am not licensed to give formal recommendation for pesticide product use, but I am a qualified applicator and use these products regularly in my work with trees and landscapes. This is general information about what I would use on recommendation from a licensed Pest Control Advisor.)

1. Chaindrite Crack and Crevice aerosol, with the long slender needle with which you can insert in the holes to get the product down as deep as possible. This product is Cypermethrin (or Alphacypermethrin I forget), plus bifenthrin. These are pyrethroids, synthetic versions of the chrysanthemum flower extract, pyrethrum. (I have bought it at Lotus and HomePro in the household insecticide section where they stock mosquito sprays, usually not in the garden section. Ask for Ya Ka Maleng, chemical kill bug). If you have a lot of trees, or if they are too tall, or the applicator is not fit to work from a ladder safely then this step may not be practical.
2. Chaindrite Stedfast in a liter bottle, or any product with a pyrethroid as active ingredient, permethrin, cypermethrin, alphacypermethrin. This is a concentrate, you will mix in your sprayer according to label directions . In Thailand the active ingredients will be on the product label in English, but the directions will be in Thai. The mixing rate will be in ml of the product, per liters of water. You need to do the math for your hand held sprayer. This solution is to spray on the entire area around the base of the fronds, including the top-most emerging terminal shoot; drench it thoroughly around the upper stem and heavily at the base of the fronds, enough to get some run-off down into the deepest crevices. This will serve as a preventive barrier for new activity. You will need to repeat monthly.
3. Starkle G. (dinotefuran) To be used as a water based soil drench around the base of the tree, for root uptake. I have not purchased this myself in Thailand, but a horticulturist friend has, so there is good likelihood of availability. But probably not at Lotus or Big C, maybe at HomePro, but most likely at a farm chemical store or plant market. You can also use any product with imidicloprid as active ingredient, in the same class of pesticide, but dinotefuran is more mobile in the plant, with faster uptake and action. This will be to try and kill the beetle and weevil larvae that are currently feeding in the tree, if they ingest the chemical that has translocated into the tissues.

These products are not organic program compatible, but are low toxicity for mammals, people and pets. The applicator should use eye and skin protection. They are deadly to honey bees if sprayed on flowering plants, they will kill fish and other aquatic organisms, keep the spray away from water ponds or waterways.

[giddyup]

The likely suspect is the coconut rhinoceros beetle. And a common associated pest is the red palm weevil that uses the holes started by the rhinoceros beetle to facilitate its own egg laying and larval feeding activity.

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/adap/ASCC_Landgrant/Dr_Brooks/BrochureNo8.pdf

The difficulty for control of an advanced, active infestation, is that the feeding larvae are deep in the holes and cannot be reached with a contact insecticide. But since these are ornamental palms and not a food product, you could consider using a systemic insecticide. But systemics can translocate into the fruit, so I caution others to rule out systemic treatment for edibles, like coconut and oil palms and maybe betel nut.

You will not be able to reverse the damage that has been done, and if the infestation and damage is extensive you may start looking at replacement. Preventive treatment is always more practical and effective than trying to stop an active infestation. See note on the rhinocerous beetle sanitation aspect in the linked article. Start a regular preventive maintenance strategy. General note: Always try to learn the common pests and disease profiles for the plants you grow, so that you can work from a preventive standpoint and not be surprised and devastated by unexpected infections and infestations.

Here is what I would do for landscape palms: Buy 3 insecticide products, and a ladder and hand held pump up sprayer if you don't have these: (Disclaimer: I am not licensed to give formal recommendation for pesticide product use, but I am a qualified applicator and use these products regularly in my work with trees and landscapes. This is general information about what I would use on recommendation from a licensed Pest Control Advisor.)

1. Chaindrite Crack and Crevice aerosol, with the long slender needle with which you can insert in the holes to get the product down as deep as possible. This product is Cypermethrin (or Alphacypermethrin I forget), plus bifenthrin. These are pyrethroids, synthetic versions of the chrysanthemum flower extract, pyrethrum. (I have bought it at Lotus and HomePro in the household insecticide section where they stock mosquito sprays, usually not in the garden section. Ask for Ya Ka Maleng, chemical kill bug). If you have a lot of trees, or if they are too tall, or the applicator is not fit to work from a ladder safely then this step may not be practical.
2. Chaindrite Stedfast in a liter bottle, or any product with a pyrethroid as active ingredient, permethrin, cypermethrin, alphacypermethrin. This is a concentrate, you will mix in your sprayer according to label directions . In Thailand the active ingredients will be on the product label in English, but the directions will be in Thai. The mixing rate will be in ml of the product, per liters of water. You need to do the math for your hand held sprayer. This solution is to spray on the entire area around the base of the fronds, including the top-most emerging terminal shoot; drench it thoroughly around the upper stem and heavily at the base of the fronds, enough to get some run-off down into the deepest crevices. This will serve as a preventive barrier for new activity. You will need to repeat monthly.
3. Starkle G. (dinotefuran) To be used as a water based soil drench around the base of the tree, for root uptake. I have not purchased this myself in Thailand, but a horticulturist friend has, so there is good likelihood of availability. But probably not at Lotus or Big C, maybe at HomePro, but most likely at a farm chemical store or plant market. You can also use any product with imidicloprid as active ingredient, in the same class of pesticide, but dinotefuran is more mobile in the plant, with faster uptake and action. This will be to try and kill the beetle and weevil larvae that are currently feeding in the tree, if they ingest the chemical that has translocated into the tissues.

These products are not organic program compatible, but are low toxicity for mammals, people and pets. The applicator should use eye and skin protection. They are deadly to honey bees if sprayed on flowering plants, they will kill fish and other aquatic organisms, keep the spray away from water ponds or waterways.

Thankyou. Yes, the culprit is the Rhinoceros beetle, have managed to kill a couple already using some poison that our Thai gardener supplied.

Edited January 27, 2016 by giddyup

[NickJ]

I had quit a few foxtails and yellows.....I used that purple powder poison you see at all the shops. about a half of the bag around the base every two or three months. It. makes them poisonous to the bugs. My foxtails were planted when small and grew to have trunks like telephone polls.

[drtreelove]

Thankyou. Yes, the culprit is the Rhinoceros beetle, have managed to kill a couple already using some poison that our Thai gardener supplied.

Some people like to eat the big fat grubs, 'Duong'?, I forget. And I expected someone to reply here, to just call your neighbors over and they will roast them up. It's true, but they may not get all, like the Starkle G systemic will. Just don't let people eat the poisoned worms or beetles, or you may end up with more than a palm problem.

Hey NickJ, can you find out the name of that purple powder poison? I'm curious.