Pelagodoxa invaded by fire ants!

[sarasota alex]

Just in a matter of days a fire ant colony was built around my Pelagodoxa henryana. I'll treat and get rid of them, no questions there. But how much root damage do you think we are talking about here?

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Spread some bait around the base and on top of the mound and then water in as directed.

[sarasota alex]

Do you think they may have already caused significant root damage?

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Not if the mound just appeared.

[GDLWyverex]

I knew that ants often raised colonies of aphids, but didn't think that they actually harmed the plants directly??

 

Richard

[topwater]

If fire ants could kill a tree, the entire state of Texas would be dead.  

 

[Anthony_B]

I just had a massive hill pile around my potted CIDP.  I boiled a pot of water and dumped it on the anthill.  Problem solved.  Not sure if you can pour boiling water on the roots of a palm that small, though.  You may be able to pour the water on the majority of the anthill away from the roots and do enough damage that they'll leave.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Anthony_B

[topwater]

I got a Pelagodoxa bare root seedling recently.  It died immediately after repotting.  Here’s a pic for the obituary.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

As far as Fire Ants go.. definately can cause root damage.. though I believe the colony has to get established first. Quick action involving using the methods mentioned above ( granules, ..even the boiling water technique, etc) at the first sign of a mound should effectively eliminate the issue before they can start doing damage.. 

While not listed for such use, I had immediate results, and quickly eliminated both Fire ants.. and others both here in AZ, and when we were in Bradenton, carefully aggravating the mounds, and spraying Home Defence.  Pretty sure I'd discussed this in another thread around here.

While Fire Ants themselves were practically non existent at the house in Bradenton, another species.. that supposedly is replacing RIFA in parts of the area there, would farm a soft scale insect that would attack the roots on containerized things in the yard, especially palm seedlings. After trying diatomaceous earth, granules, bait stations.. and still loosing stuff, I tested home defence on a few things and had 100% results, and no recolonization of either the scale or Ants afterwards. .and no ill effects to the plants themselves. It's now my go to whenever I see our native fire Ants here in Chandler trying to invade potted things, or building new mounds around the yard.  

As much as I hate applying chemical - anything.. sometimes you have to. 

-Nathan

 

[Missi]

Do not place anything close to or on top of the ant mound. If anything disturbs the mound, they quickly retreat into the ground and pop a mound up elsewhere. They do not stick around to eat the granules, but since they leave the mound/area you're monitoring, you think they're dead. Nope, just relocated to another area of your property. You want to place granules or pour the water 10-12" around the mound. The mound is just one of several entrances/exits to the entire colony's "highway" of tunnels underground, so technically pouring boiling water will only kill the ants in that general area, not the entire colony. You want to get a insecticide the ants eat, then regurgitate at the main area of the colony to feed the queen.

[Missi]

Also, P. henryana can survive in-ground in Sarasota? 

[John hovancsek]

There are at lease 4 that I know of in the Naples area

[Tracy S]

That's gorgeous. Is it yours?

 

[bstoller]

Here’s mine in St Pete.   15’ tall from ground to the top of the leaf   

Finally starting to get some wood....

 

[John hovancsek]

Naples botanical garden 

[Tracy S]

18 hours ago, bstoller said:

Here’s mine in St Pete.   15’ tall from ground to the top of the leaf   

Finally starting to get some wood....

 

Great job. That's incredible. No matter how many pelagodoxas I see, they still take my breath away.

[sarasota alex]

Thanks for advise everyone!

[sarasota alex]

On 11/15/2017, 9:38:38, Missi said:

Also, P. henryana can survive in-ground in Sarasota? 

This coming winter is the 3rd one. Doing great. No protection. Most winters it bottoms out in mid 30s. It's exposed to sun for half-a-day on average. Suffered greatly during the nasty drought we had in late spring. Although I irrigated my plants, we had almost desert-like humidity that damaged many tropical palms including Pelagodoxa, and killed a Pigafetta and a Socratea. 

[Missi]

On 11/17/2017, 10:43:37, sarasota alex said:

killed a Pigafetta

Imagine that