In my continuous battle with ox rhino beetles  I am considering trying sand as an additional barrier method. 
 

If there is interest I can post a link to results studying use of sand against a related rhino beetle (CRB) in laboratory tests in HI. That beetle attacks up high so the sand would need to go around the spear making it difficult and hard to keep in place. 
 

However with the idea of first doing no harm, my question for Palmtalk is whether QUIKRETE sand piled 2-3 inches high around a non trunking palm stem would be likely to harm the palm? 

That’s ground zero for Strategus beetles. 
 

I probably would extend the sand only a few inches away from the stem as most of my palms have hardware cloth to protect beyond that area. 
 

Not sure yet about a “collar” design to keep the sand in place. Perhaps something as simple as a plastic disposable drinking cup with a vertical slit and the bottom excised. 
 

Thanks for any thoughts. 

Quickcrete Sand Topping mix would have a pH of like 13, so I’m not sure that would be great, but their, or any, regular natural sand you’d think would be ok.  My want to rise it well first.  I assume you’ve got pretty loamy soil as a base.  

Thanks Looking Glass. 

The reason I am considering Quikrete sand is because that’s the product listed in the research study with coconut rhinos and it is easily available locally. 
 

I see our local big box store sells the sand topping mix you mention for other purposes, but the one I am considering is this one:

 

However I would be using the product only above the planting level of the palm not mixing it into the dirt below.
 

I have seen non palms where the base has been covered a few inches for protection with stretch wrap or plastic apparently not harming the tree.

Maybe some here use something for trimmer protection?

But sand and (non coconut) palm stems? 

I do have some less rare small palms in the ground like Chamaedorea elegans and could do a short test on a few of them perhaps but not sure how long to wait to assess for harm?

Or I could test a few “extras” in pots?

Today I realized that I have a collection of used but clean 4 inch plastic pots which are of very flexible construction.  Thus they are easy to cut without cracking. 
 

Plus if I leave a bit of the bottom they might stand up when filled with about a cup of sand and not look too horrible. 
 

Palms that have a larger diameter, but no trunk yet could be surrounded by larger cut plastic pots making 2 or more since only planning for a few inches of sand.

I am thinking a short piece of gorilla tape that I own already might secure the “collar” well enough overlapping slightly.
 

No idea how long the tape it will hold in the tropics and the collar definitely is not going to stay put in a hurricane. 
 

With 50 pounds of Quikrete sand running about $3.00 unless some of you think it likely to harm palms I’ll give a few a try. 

Anything safe and easy to minimize continual pesticide use which isn’t fully protective either….

As with most prototypes, I am going to change it up and try a 6 inch diameter pot on the next ones. 

Here is my first effort with a four inch pot.
 

This palm has nothing except imidocloprid granules as it was planted after I recognized that my original barriers were insufficient. 
That’s why I sprinkled a little sand even beyond the collar. 

I know my rhino beetles like Pelagodoxas as my first loss due to this enemy (which stymied me at first) was this species. 
 

My larger ones get attacked often, but with diligence they are OK. 

 

 

I was delighted to get this one and more from Nature girl on PT (Thank you!) and so far all are doing well.

Tried a 6 inch diameter pot size around the Syagrus amara.
 

I have already lost it’s twin to a beetle attack and both were crown from gifted seed. 

I see that I need shallow thin plastic cuttable wider options say 8-18 inches for palms that get wide (a feast for the rhinos) before trunking. Preferably inexpensive and available in PR where limited pot sizes sold. 

Ideas appreciated as otherwise I might wander around a big box store seeing what might be modified.

 

Today’s update:

No evidence of beetles digging through the applied sand, but of course it hasn’t been long and those palms did have imidocloprid granules applied 3-4 months ago. 
 

And no sign of any harm to the palms with sand filled collars yet. 

I will probably not have time/energy to try this collar idea on lots of palms this Spring, but will see how the small group does. 

I finished up the 50 pound bag of sand and am on to applying Coretect tablets (stronger imidocloprid) since it arrived from my online order. 
 

I saw evidence of an attack on one of my Pigafettas despite use of the granular imidocloprid 3-4 months ago so I had reapplied it recently. 
 

Learning the hard way how tasty this species is to the ox beetles, today I added the Coretect tablets. During that process I did find a dead female beetle, not on the palm where I had seen evidence of an attack but nearby. 

Glad I had done that second round of granules and also that in a few weeks the tablets might help longer. 
 

 

It was a coincidence that I picked a handy palm plate for a photographic backdrop but then on purpose put the beetle at the bottom of the tree design.

 This is to emphasize that this is not CRB which attacks from the top. 
 

I did catch some web comparison tables today who said that the ox beetle does little damage!

I would beg to differ, at least in PR!

Well the sand idea was a fail. 

Beetles had killed at least two Euterpe catinga in this area so in addition to using imidocloprid last Feb/March I added a “collar” and sand to this one. 
 

Last week I saw this:

 

Maybe the beetle chose to dig straight into the stem as opposed to downwards through the sand as is more common. Regardless no chance for this one. Sad.
 

Before it looked just like this survivor below:

Another lost palm this month.

Propped up it looks fine.

But here’s the real story:

Life intervened and not able to apply more imidocloprid in July as planned.

Right now getting rough weather as the edges from cat 5 Hurricane Erin deals us a glancing blow. 
 

So far electricity holding and the usual coqui frog lullaby can be heard over the bit of wind. 

 

11 minutes ago, Cindy Adair said:

Another lost palm this month.

Propped up it looks fine.

But here’s the real story:

Life intervened and not able to apply more imidocloprid in July as planned.

Right now getting rough weather as the edges from cat 5 Hurricane Erin deals us a glancing blow. 
 

So far electricity holding and the usual coqui frog lullaby can be heard over the bit of wind. 

 

Stay safe Cindy. Maybe the wind will blow all the bugs out to sea. 

I would crying by now losing so many rare and exotic palms. Not to mention I would so scared to plant new palms in the ground. I would be devastated if they got my freshly planted sabinara. Iam so glad we have such strict bio security import laws in Australia it’s the only barrier we have against such a devastating beetle! 

I agree happypalms that there are some of my palms that I am quite sentimental about. 

I remind myself that every gardener has some issues and that here I NEVER worry about cold damage nor coyotes nor coconut rhino beetles. 

4 minutes ago, Cindy Adair said:

I agree happypalms that there are some of my palms that I am quite sentimental about. 

I remind myself that every gardener has some issues and that here I NEVER worry about cold damage nor coyotes nor coconut rhino beetles. 

Yes that’s true, I face certain challenges in my garden. It show in all gardener’s there passion for plants and animals and a caring sense for Mother Nature and the globe. It must be so heartbreaking to lose so many in your collection. 

Cindy, you live in a place of seeming continual trials and existential threats! Yet you can serve up the beetle on a delicate plate to make us smile at your refusal to be defeated.  I'm not sure I would fare as well in those circumstances. I greatly admire your indomitable spirit!

Thank you Kim for your kind words.
 

My portable generator is on briefly as I write, but soon will go off to save propane and enjoy nature’s sounds again. 

Eventually power will return- in a hour, later today? Tomorrow? Next week? Like awaiting seed germination or waiting for my palms to grow trunks (to perhaps no longer interest rhino beetles), patience is required. 

Just a glancing blow from hurricane Erin and I have yet to explore and clean up. 

I recall the last big volcanic eruption in HI where beautiful land, plants and houses not far from you were covered in lava and poisonous gases threatening palms and people. I saw many photos and heard stories on PalmTalk
 

That sounded overwhelming to me! 
 

I think we all face challenges and must learn as we go.

In between rain squalls I walked part of my place and saw more rhino damage. 
 

If only spines that puncture through my gloves deterred the rhino beetle. 

Weather and a steep now muddy slope prevented close inspection today but one likely beyond hope and another in big trouble and the rest maybe OK. 
 

 

 

Added to my list to retreat are the trio of Cyphosperma balansae as a classic rhino hole next to one needs urgent attention. Too far from my house and dangerous weather makes another trip down there impossible at the moment. 
 

Of course Erin’s ongoing effects show my largest Metroxylon amicarum leaning. I do have a worker coming tomorrow to finish a garage and he will hopefully help brace this beauty upright again. 

As always bananas are the first to fall. Not dead but easily crush all beneath. 
 

These annoyingly fell uphill! I laboriously dig out banana clumps above where I plant and these were next in line but not soon enough. They fell mostly across a walking path so not too bad. 
 

Lots of tree fern fronds to pick up and put in piles and still have only seen a fraction of my place due to continued storms.