#JJBIO #gardener #landscaper How to treat the palm tree moth How to protect palm trees from attacks by the palm-eating moth. Our company of landscape gardeners: Julien organic gardener has been involved in biological control since its creation. Basically, the founder of JJBIO; Julien is an organic market gardener in open fields and under cover. No question of using dangerous products that unfortunately can be found on the internet. We encourage you to preserve our environment by using a method that has proven itself and that we detail for you. Field experience in the south of France in Toulouse and Capbreton, calls from our sometimes desperate customers lead us to develop a method. But what is this pest? First of all, you should know that this insect was introduced into France accidentally. It comes from Argentina. It spreads quickly, destroying many palm trees, sometimes very old, especially in the south of our country. Spotting an attack on a palm tree It lays its eggs, which look like grains of rice, on the palms. At this stage, you have to be aware to detect them. Later, oval holes appear on the young palms that emerge from the stipe. At this new stage, it is easily recognizable by everyone. Fortunately, it is not too late, so you have to act. In fact, it is the larva of the butterfly that penetrates the stipe through galleries that it digs. It devours the heart of the palm: the palms turn yellow and dry out, leading to the inevitable death of the tree. If you observe carefully, on the surface and all around the head of the palm, it leaves behind amalgamated sawdust. Period of attacks on palm trees In spring and autumn, the palmivorous butterfly attacks most species of palm, but it appreciates all the more the species that have a lot of fibers at the level of the stipe. Trachycarpus, Chamaerops and Brahea are very sensitive to it. In Capbreton, in my father's garden, they attacked two large Canary Island Phoenix (see our video on our YouTube channel JJBIO). What is our method? It involves mechanical intervention at first. Also, integrated bio control action. First curative action As soon as the oval holes appear on the young palms, you must act. By cleaning the palm tree, you will quickly spot these brown amalgams of sawdust that are more or less ovoid in shape. The first care to give to palm trees is simple. It is mechanical. All you need is an iron rod about 4 to 5 mm in diameter and at least 40 cm long. You can round one of the ends to facilitate penetration into the gallery. By digging, cleaning behind the amalgams of sawdust and probing, you will easily find the gallery. All you have to do is insert the rod to the end. Our record is 30 cm. When you take it out, it will be whitish, this will be proof that you have reached the larva. We have counted on large palm trees, up to more than ten holes. Second curative action A second natural solution is spraying nematodes and then suitable glue. But not only that, you must also keep the treated surfaces moist for several days. Indeed, nematodes are microscopic worms, invisible to the naked eye, which move more easily in a humid environment. Then, they parasitize and kill the larvae of insect pests. Their actions are specific and targeted. Therefore, their actions are respectful of useful insects, crops and vertebrates and ourselves. As a result, your sprayer must be equipped with a nozzle of at least 0.5 or even 1 mm. You will find nematodes in garden centers kept cool. Monitoring We recommend that you regularly monitor the leaves of your palm trees and the top of the stipe. This way, you will anticipate their rescues for sure! Conclusion If you have any questions, for anything related to the fight against this butterfly, but also about our friends the plants, do not hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to answer you.