Tarantula burrows killing young palms in Puerto Rico?

[Cindy Adair]

It seems I am losing a third young palm tree of three different genera on my farm in the mountains of rural Puerto Rico..

 All the palms are 1-3 feet tall with a burrow like hole about 1.5 inches near the base.  

The first was about a year ago and the second this month about 6 feet away. The third is also recent, but on an adjoining acre.

The first two trees looked totally healthy and then all the leaves dried out rapidly as if roots were suddenly severely damaged.

This week's victim showed older leaves darkening first, but it had always looked stressed and more yellow than green perhaps in too much sun,  so I was less surprised to see it decline further. Yesterday I saw the hole near the little trunk.

The first was a Phoenicophorium,  the next was/is a Calyptronoma and now a Heterospathe. The latter two still have viable spears so hope remains.

I see these holes in other places and have been told they are from tarantulas.  I have occasionally seen the spiders walking about, but understand they are mainly nocturnal here. Once I encountered one underground while I was removing banana plants. 

I have not excavated the burrows near the ill palms fearing more root disturbance would not be helpful. Perhaps the holes near these palms were just a coincidence as I have not inspected the soil closely around my many trees.

Has anyone heard of tarantula's burrowing killing palm roots? Suggestions?

 

[Kim]

That's a new one for me!  In California people struggle with gophers eating the succulent roots of palms and other plants,  but tarantulas don't eat roots, do they? Or do they? I'm not clear on how a burrowing spider can be destructive. ?? Interesting questions!

[Tyrone]

I don’t have an answer but I wouldn’t be walking barefoot at night in the garden that’s for sure.

[Cindy Adair]

My only thought is that the excavation process itself is the issue, suddenly cutting roots of small palms?

Maybe pathogens could enter even if the initial damage was survivable.

I have never seen evidence of tarantulas in pots so my tendency to plant out small seedlings (compared to most growers who are more patient) could be why others don’t see this issue.

Or the burrow locations could just be a coincidence. The spiders might like the looser soil where I had inserted the trees.

I have lost very few palms of any size (once planted) except by crushing damage after storms, so now when I have unexplained “Sudden Small Palm Death” I will look for a tarantula hole and post again here.

 

 

[Cindy Adair]

Here are examples of the holes I see on my farm.

I kicked some dirt into the one above (at the base of the dying palm) yesterday and it is open again today.