Southern California Palmageddon

[Phoenikakias]

Oh this is devastating. I've seen the damage these things can do to palms in SEAsia. Some gardens were completely wiped out of things like Bismarkia nobilis.<br /><br />On the bright side they tend to do a massif amount of damage initially then this tapers off and they disappear. Aggressive control programmes do not seem to halt the massif and lethal initial damage.<br /><br />Im not sure why but areas affected that I've seen, gardens not palm plantations seem to be left alone after a few years, no palms left suitable ): or some kind of migration or natural predator like nematodes take time to spread? Maybe the rotting smell sends a signal that there is population densities that are too high or something so they fly off looking for a better crop of palm territory far away.

datepalm2_28.pdf

[Cedric]

datepalm2_28.pdf

OMG no can you imagine every garden with a palm doing these crazy things with pesticides! I think the general public need permits to buy some of that stuff.

Plus of course pesticides double the chances of destroying the last vestiges of an eco system in any populated area that often holds the solution. This includes the death of birds other insects and well just everything even the fish in the water.

If you think about it the amount of pesticide already used then quadruple or timed by ten whatever and we will be flooded in toxic waste, I wouldn't even let my dog lick the road. Systemic pesticides are some of the most dangerous on earth for the entire eco system.

Im wondering how the vast palm oil plantations in places like Malaysia have managed this problem. Pheromone traps were being used on some ornamental palm plantings like botanical gardens.

[Cedric]

BB/#25/ Whatever credibility you had was totally lost in your litany of false statements made in your third paragraph. Absolute fallacious mischaracterizations regarding the truth on all levels. If the rest of your content is extrapolated in this manner, you cannot be taken seriously. Beyond that, character assassination of this sort should not be accepted, as at a minimum it defies appropriate etiquette of this forum. Political diatribes of this nature should not be allowed and should be stricken void ab initio by Forum Monitors.

Yes and I understood teak to be completely termite resistant.

[stygiana]

not that im Proweevil but this does seem a bit ironic to me. NON native insects attacking NON native palms. Kinda like opening an Italian resturant and trying to keep Italians from eating there. i need an emocon for when i blow my own mind!

Well, not really.

RPW comes from South Asia, while a lot of their favored palms to infest come from elsewhere, like CIDPs, edible dates, etc.

Hmm. More like opening an Italian eatery and trying to keep out the Chinese, or Brazilians, who find they love cucina Italia. Or however you say that . . . .

That said, I'm with Axel: protectionism is worth the trouble. The RPWs got to Laguna Beach somehow, likely from SE Asia.

Well, that's what surprises me: How such an infamous and well documented bug arrived in California?!? Was it in Mexico before?

Beware of trojan horses, all imported palms beyond a certain size (and also of the pot soil for cocoons). IMHO a 5 gal palm is already a suspect.

You mean that it is possible to import overseas' plants in California???

Imported palms can, indeed, come with trojan horses...

I am still stunned by the fact that mature palms could have come legally to California with such a notorious bug inside.

[Phoenikakias]

not that im Proweevil but this does seem a bit ironic to me. NON native insects attacking NON native palms. Kinda like opening an Italian resturant and trying to keep Italians from eating there. i need an emocon for when i blow my own mind!

Well, not really.

RPW comes from South Asia, while a lot of their favored palms to infest come from elsewhere, like CIDPs, edible dates, etc.

Hmm. More like opening an Italian eatery and trying to keep out the Chinese, or Brazilians, who find they love cucina Italia. Or however you say that . . . .

That said, I'm with Axel: protectionism is worth the trouble. The RPWs got to Laguna Beach somehow, likely from SE Asia.

Well, that's what surprises me: How such an infamous and well documented bug arrived in California?!? Was it in Mexico before?

Beware of trojan horses, all imported palms beyond a certain size (and also of the pot soil for cocoons). IMHO a 5 gal palm is already a suspect.

You mean that it is possible to import overseas' plants in California???

Imported palms can, indeed, come with trojan horses...

I am still stunned by the fact that mature palms could have come legally to California with such a notorious bug inside.

Trojan horses do not have to be mature palms. I testify with full responsibility that I have witnessed an rpw infestation of a dacty offshoot only having been on the fourth leaf after the first curly one that usually signals the production of an offshoot. Besides the dacty pictured in the cold hardy forum (in the blue cold hardy palms-topic) had also fallen victim to an rpw infestation 3 years ago.

[Phoenikakias]

I have not observed yet a bird-death due to the use of dimethoat. It would be interesting to have here also reports from other european growers about this issue. Nevertheless I am also deeply concerned about the cummulative effect of every chemical and biological substance (otherwise I would not wear a rubber suit) , that's why I support with fanatism the option of the coordinated complete erradication. About the ecological aspects anyway matter is very perplexed when it comes to rpw outside its natural enviroment. For example there are not more than 10 natural habitats of Phoenix theophrasti in the island of Crete. Should we leave them totally unprotected from an eventual rpw attack (the bug is already in the island)? So far there is no recorded infestation, but the protocoll forbids the use of traps in clear areas because they might attract bugs there for the first time. This second and last european palm has survived ice ages and erruptions of the Thera volcano for tens of thousand years just to fall victim to a foreigner invader, who came to the island only by human action and neglection?

[Cedric]

Wouldn't simple fine netting protect stands of P Theophrasti ?

[Phoenikakias]

Wouldn't simple fine netting protect stands of P Theophrasti ?

actually I have not ever thought of this!

[Cedric]

P theophrasti are larger than I thought, but still as the population is so small netting could be a viable option. I might add they are now my absolute favourite palm, I would love one. They have that wild African look, plus that silvery dens canopy which is nice nice nice. Can just imagine the delicious shade under there after a swim in that crystal clear little beautiful turquoise river.