|
| Hi everyone,
Just wondering if anyone knows the best way to keep termites away from trees. For some reason, my yard and 5 other houses around me have VERY BAD termites problem, more so than any other area.... They don't worry the heliconias and gingers too much, but I am trying to grow rambutan trees and I just don't want them to get the tree until it is fully established. I think my jackfruit trees are suffering from the attack too, as I can see some dead branches on the top of the trees. If there is nothing I can do... I think I must just stick with banana.... (sigh...). Thanks, Ari :) |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by Tropigal80 NT Aust (My Page) on Sun, May 16, 04 at 22:02
| The best thing to do is contact DPI in darwin they have some good ag-notes on termites. I've heard that they don't like chicken manure, but I don't think that this will help already established trees. |
|
- Posted by Bernard_QLD Brisbane Aust (My Page) on Thu, May 20, 04 at 7:26
| I presume you have a problem with M. darwiniensis, which eats anything with cellulose, ie. even green plants, not necessarily trees. This termite is a major problem and I don't think there is much you can do about it. They joy of living in Arnhem Land ;-) |
|
| it occurs to me that when you water ,water thoroughly so that the soil is really wet as termites build mounds to get away from really wet soil and heavy watering must disrupt their tunnels.grew citrus here and white washed the trunks to aid in cooling then I noticed a black spot on the trunk and it was where the termites had gone through I then poisoned them but if you kept at it with the hose and left the hole open it would increase your chances good luck I lose a lot to termites over here. |
|
| Thanks everyone... I water my trees very thoroughly every day.... but I was just wondering whether there is more effective way of getting rid of them. I am sure my coconut trees are full of them, but I am keeping it till it dies just to keep the termites from eating my other palms (especially the triangle palm - which is apparently they love). And everytime I found termite mounds, I just run the hose and make sure I got every termites.. Bernard, Regards, Ari :) |
|
- Posted by Tropigal80 NT Aust (My Page) on Thu, Jun 17, 04 at 7:45
| Mastotermes actually prefer moist condtions and considering that they survive the wet season, I don't think that they will be driven away with water. The chemical that used to be used for control of the termites is myrant (myrex) however due to the nature of the product it has been taken off the market. You might still be able to find some around though. DPI is currently trying some new chemicals, hopefully they'll find something soon. Palms are very suseptible to attack, If you are after shade trees, Weeping Rosewoods, African Mahoganys and most Natives are resistant. |
|
- Posted by wollemia_TC Gold Coast Hint (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 04 at 22:15
| When I lived in Jabiru I decided to have a mango tree in the back yard. It grew brilliantly to about 3 metres then bent over at ground level(with a perfectly healthy-looking top)and lay on the ground. At autopsy the bark was intact & healthy but the inside was empty - no sign of wood at all! Horrible little critters! Maybe regular burning off would keep them a bit controlled. Do you think you would like to restart your garden every 2 years? Tony |
|
| Well.... they eat everything and anything.... At the moment, they are not too bad. I just have to save my rambutan and jackfruit trees.... If I can't, I will definitely stick with banana (sigh......). I hope DPI can come up with something soon otherwise not worth planting any fruit trees.... Regards, Ari :) |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Tropical Plants Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.