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What's eating my foliage?
#1
What's eating my foliage?

I am new to Hawaii so I do not have experience with this issue. We planted some young palms and something is eating the heck out of the fronds. I do not see any pests on them. In addition when I took a walk to Kaloi Point, some of the wild vegetation is showing the same signs. Is there some sort of season pest?

mahalo in advance


Susan
Susan
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#2
Could possibly be the Japanese beetles. They come out and feast only at night. Go out after dark with a flashlight and shine on your trees. If they are there, you'll know. They'll be happily frolicking on your plants and and buzzing around. They are the bane of my existence since I only organic garden. I've heard you can sprinkle sevin powder on the leaves that will deter them. Unfortunately I don't know of any organic methods, other than to go out at night with a soapy bucket of water and hand pick. Not for the squeamish. SmileAloha, Angela

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#3
Nalu,
Thanks - I thought it might be Japanese beetles. As a child I remember seeing this "lacey" eating pattern on our pansies. However, we would see them during the day in our rural NY state location and pick them off by hand.

Found this website with some interesting suggestions, http://www.ghorganics.com/JapaneseBeetle.html

See some are listed below.

Japanese Beetle Trap and Bait
The following bait and trap method is to be used during the height of the Japanese Beetle season.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 mashed banana
1 pkg yeast

Dissolve sugar and yeast in the water. Mix the well maxhed banana into the sugar water. Put all ingredients in a gallon milk jug. Place the jug (with the top off) in an area where Japanese Beetles gather. The fermentation and odor of the bait attracts the beetles which get in but not out.

Trap crops for the beetles are African marigold, borage, evening primrose (oonthera), four o'clocks, knotweed, soybeans, white roses, white and pastel zinnias, wild grapes and blackberries.

Nematodes: Another control for the grub stage is to apply beneficial nematodes to the infested area. These are applied at a ratio of 50,000 per square foot of targeted area.

Botanical Control: Pyrethrin, ryania or rotenone. (Not for you of course!)

Bug Juice spray: If you can handle it this is supposed to work. Harvest about 1 cup of beetles, put them in an old blender and liquefy them. Thin this with enough water to make it pass through a sprayer. Spray it on any plants they victimize. NOTE: If you make this out of beetles infected with the milky spore disease you will actually infect more grubs with the disease. So...if you can handle it give it a try!


Susan
Susan
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#4
And if you cut off the top of the milk jug and invert it, they will go in and not be able to get back out again. You can use the inverted cone trap to catch all sorts of bugs. If you build the inverted cone trap bigger, you can catch birds and mongoose, too.


"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales." 
Kurt Wilson
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#5
Susan,

Another palm pest is the stinging nettle caterpillar. It makes big, almost kinda squareish, holes in the fronds. They're more active in the summer. They also pack a mean sting if you touch them.

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/IP-22.pdf

If you see them, you can try using Bt (Bacillus Thuringiensis).

Aloha, Mitzi


Uluhe Design
Native Landscape Design
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Uluhe Design
Native Landscape Design
uluhedesign@yahoo.com
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