Name my infestation? Please

[plantapalm]

I recently purchased this Latania verschaffeltii from a plant show and noticed I brought home more than a palm. What are these black mite bugs and what do I do to get rid of them and the ants that are creating a mess around the new spear?

[John Case]

Looks like scale to me....although I haven't seen it just like that.

Try ant killer first, as they use the other bug as a source of food. Then scale removal, which will take more time with neem oil to suffocate them, if I am correct.

[paulgila]

i have that kind in my garden.u can just rub em off or spray with water if u dont wanna use chemicals,i dont like to use too many due to a fishpond.you have to keep doing it though if you dont use any.if thats not an issue then bepah's advice is spot-on.

[Mark Heath]

Pesticidal oil will do the trick!! You can buy it at your local HD. It will kill the scale AND the ants that accompany them!

[paulgila]

what a great name for a tv quiz show: "Name My Infestation."

[PalmsZA]

Hi

Latans are famous for that black scale here....they multiply very quickly so rather use Merit as a soil drench and its good night for good! Once that black scale gets a foothold in your garden its a b$#%& to get rid of it...

Dennis

[paulgila]

it seems to attack only rhopies,here.not too seriously so far..."touch wood,"as wal says.

[Guest LeftCoastAngler]

The ants are grubbin' on the 'honeydew' that the scale excretes...

Bye-Bye scale!

~LCA.

[plantapalm]

Thanks for the tips guys

[_Keith]

That palm is awefully yellow. Is that normal for that palm, or a symptom of the bugs, or of a nutrient issue which may be making the palm susceptible to the bugs?

Just a thought.

[plantapalm]

This palms common name is the Yellow Latan Palm. I pretty sure that it should be this color.

[_Keith]

This palms common name is the Yellow Latan Palm. I pretty sure that it should be this color.

Gotcha. LOL at myself. Over here in coldy land, anytime a palm looks like that, it is dying from something.

[plantapalm]

While we are on infestations I have a spindle palm that has well I don't know what it has. The new leaf starts out perfect but has time goes on it develops these dangelers hanging under the leaves and then these copper spots develop. Is it a deficiency or a pest?

[Ken Johnson]

Them thar black thangs are not scale. They are "Palm Aphids". They are "farmed" by the ants.

Kill the ants with ant killer and the aphids with aphid killer. Choose what ever weapons you want.

I use a systemic in my nursery and that gets rid of lots of insects.

Granular Talstar kills ants and all kinds of other stuff that may not feed on the palms, like roaches. I love it on my farm. NO red ants!

Then add fertilizer and water and presto. No mulch. no foliar spray. Just fert and water.

[LJG]

Thanks Ken. I thought you were full of it so I checked and you were right! Palm aphid (Cerataphis palmae) . I always thought this was scale too. Good to know. I get these on my Rhopies and Howeias.

Them thar black thangs are not scale. They are "Palm Aphids". They are "farmed" by the ants.

Kill the ants with ant killer and the aphids with aphid killer. Choose what ever weapons you want.

I use a systemic in my nursery and that gets rid of lots of insects.

Granular Talstar kills ants and all kinds of other stuff that may not feed on the palms, like roaches. I love it on my farm. NO red ants!

Then add fertilizer and water and presto. No mulch. no foliar spray. Just fert and water.

[tjwalters]

Them thar black thangs are not scale. They are "Palm Aphids". They are "farmed" by the ants.

Kill the ants with ant killer and the aphids with aphid killer. Choose what ever weapons you want.

I use a systemic in my nursery and that gets rid of lots of insects.

Granular Talstar kills ants and all kinds of other stuff that may not feed on the palms, like roaches. I love it on my farm. NO red ants!

Then add fertilizer and water and presto. No mulch. no foliar spray. Just fert and water.

Nice call! An aphid that looks (and acts) like a scale insect. Learn something new every day.

[PalmsZA]

Bloody buggers! Thanks Ken!

[BS Man about Palms]

KEN!!

I put out some of that talstar about 2 weeks ago and I'm not sure if its working. I think it is, but should you dose twice for heavy or??? (I just shot some malathion this morning on the heavy hit guys...)

Anyway, now I see all this little white spots on the leaves, etc Kinda like when Buffy hit a vampire and they turned to dust. Is this the sign its working?

[hanapalms]

Michael,

If you are like me, and do not want any toxic sh.t in your garden, use Neem oil diluted with water to spray on your plants to get rid of unwanted pests. It's organic and it also will act as a fertilizer. Spray the plant and surrounding ground area. Trouble with chemical sprays is they do more than just kill the bugs. They eventually end up inside you.

[Ken Johnson]

Bill.

Shoot man my bad. You should have removed the aphids with your finger mails and killed the ants one by one as they showed thier little abdomens to you. That is if you don't want to use chemicals, which is fine but them ants and underground bugs are hard to get at.

I'm glad you tried the talstar. When you grow all kinds of non natives and crowd them togeather, fighting mother nature at every turn, you at times must be firm in your approach. If not disatser will loom and $ will be lost. A multifaceted approach is always good with all things often but in moderation. Twice a year with talstar type product and in between with malathyon and or cygon. Fertilizer in between and add water.

Valezifacation!

[Tala]

there is a scale insect typically referred to as Latania scale but that ain't it; you can tell palm aphids because they are white along outside, red scale lacks this. One thing to keep in mind w/ aphids, they attack new growth only - whatever you use you'll need to drench the bud, thats most likely their place of origin. If you use hort. oil (the safest environ. friendlier choice) you'll probably need a 2nd dose a few wks later. If you use a systemic (talstar is not one, anything w/ imidacloprid - Merit, etc.) is the active ingredient will move into the newest growth. Some systemics are a bit too slow acting for aphids (they can multiply quickly), lately I've been using a mix of bifenthrin (Talstar) w/ a sysmetic, lately dinotefuran aka Safari. The Talstar kills off the exposed insects, the systemic kills off the hidden ones, and keeps them off for awhile (depending on product employed).

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Ken,

Just because you are right doesn't mean you aren't full of it.

I used to use cygon but I don't think they make it anymore, I have not seen it available. Merit is a synthetic tobacinoid, and although it is very effective, I think it is relatively safe if directions are followed. Neem oil works but you need to keep re-applying and you must get coverage on the bugs themselves. It is a contact insecticide not systemic.

Plantapalm,

Your Spindle needs potassium. Pretty typical for that genus. I think the dangly things are part of the palm.

[BS Man about Palms]

Bill.

Shoot man my bad. You should have removed the aphids with your finger mails and killed the ants one by one as they showed thier little abdomens to you. That is if you don't want to use chemicals, which is fine but them ants and underground bugs are hard to get at.

I'm glad you tried the talstar. When you grow all kinds of non natives and crowd them togeather, fighting mother nature at every turn, you at times must be firm in your approach. If not disatser will loom and $ will be lost. A multifaceted approach is always good with all things often but in moderation. Twice a year with talstar type product and in between with malathyon and or cygon. Fertilizer in between and add water.

Valezifacation!

Opps! I didn't get the answer I was waiting for from you. BUT, then I thought about it and checked and realized I used Deltagard, not talstar. My bad.

[merrill]

Hi, Ken et al.:

The trade name Cygon may be discontinued, but it is available as generic dimethoate [possibly in two brands] at a very reasonable price.

Best Wishes,

merrill

[Kris]

Thanks Dear Ken

Even i have this problem,they come immedietly after the rains stop and early summer begins...

Love,

kris

[merrill]

Hi, Ken et al.:

Further examination shows there are ten different generic versions of dimethoate!

Best Wishes,

merrill