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Something Eating My Majesty Palms


Hombre de Palmas

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Happy Solstice Everyone!

I have 5 Majesty Palms under my pool cage and I noticed yesterday that someone has been chewing on a spear. I have included pictures of the palm spear as well as a leaf on a nearby Lobster Claw Heliconia. I had noticed some damage on newly opened fronds in the past but was unconcerned as the problem seemed minor. This looks like more extensive damage. We keep the doors to the cage closed except for when we go into the yard. We do have some decent sized anoles around the patio in the range of 5-7 inches.

 

Does anyone have experience with anoles eating their palms?

 

cheers

 

Lobster Claw.jpg

Majesty Palm 2.jpg

Majesty Palm.jpg

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The anoles are insectivores and don't eat plants. The heliconia leaf looks like insect damage. The palm is more problematic. I've not seen too many insects attack majesties but that doesn't mean they aren't around. The damage does look somewhat like chewing rather than disease. Could be more insect damage, but I wonder if a mouse or rat could have done it. Just because you think your lanai is totally varmint proof doesn't mean it is. I once had a mouse or rat get into my 6x6 greenhouse sitting on my back lanai and chew up nearly all my palm seedlings. Another time a young raccoon pried his way through the back corner screen and wreaked havoc with my potted tropicals. We had to comb every inch of the lanai to find and block the entry point. Then he started banging on our bedroom window in the middle of the night. We had to trap/release him miles away to end the nuisance.

  • Upvote 2

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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PalmatierMeg is correct.   Anoles wont eat your plants.  The heliconia damage was done while the leaf was still "rolled" which makes the swiss cheese effect. You can see the gradual decrease in size of the holes as they progressed toward the center.  In my area these are usually created by grasshoppers or katydids.  Once in a while they will nip the entire end off the rolled leaves of heliconias or gingers.  As for the palm, it is possible that grasshoppers or katydids were involved especially if it is new tender growth.  That is a good size chew area though.  Again like PalmatierMeg said look for entry areas for raccoons, possums or rabbits.  Also look for camped out grasshoppers or their relatives in your pool cage.

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Thank you for the input.

I will not rule out mice or rats, though I have seen no evidence of them.  They could be around, especially at night when we are not there, and they certainly could squeeze in the cracks and crevices.

I have also not seen any katydids or grasshoppers either in the yard or pool cage.

I will continue to watch out for the culprit.

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I'm with everyone else,

My money is on it being a rodent eating the palm and as mentioned a bug ate your Heliconia.

Put a rodent bait station down, it won't go away by itself.

  • Upvote 1

Cheers Steve

It is not dead, it is just senescence.

   

 

 

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14 hours ago, gtsteve said:

I'm with everyone else,

My money is on it being a rodent eating the palm and as mentioned a bug ate your Heliconia.

Put a rodent bait station down, it won't go away by itself.

Many Thanks

Time to find out if my Rat Terrier is aptly named!

cheers

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