Even though the golden fruit palm is a very robust type of palm tree, pests can cause it quite a lot of trouble. What pests do you need to watch out for? How do you recognize an infestation and how do you combat uninvited visitors?
Which pests attack golden fruit palms and how do you combat them?
Goldfruit palms can be attacked by spider mites and thrips, which show up as discolored, yellowish leaves and stunted fronds. If infested, affected plants should be isolated and rinsed with lukewarm water under controlled conditions. Lice control sticks can be inserted into the soil to control the pests.
Spider mites and thrips attack golden fruit palms
Whenever the leaves of the golden fruit palm change color or the fronds look stunted and appear to be suffering from stunted growth, there may be a pest infestation.
There are two types of pests that occur more frequently on golden fruit palms: spider mites and thrips.
If you suspect a pest infestation, place the affected plants separately so that the pests cannot spread further.
Identify and combat spider mites
An infestation by spider mites is indicated by the yellowing of the leaves. If you look very closely, you can see the little animals. Spider mites can be identified even better by spraying the fronds with water. Then small webs can be seen in the leaf axils.
Carefully shower the Areca palm with lukewarm water to wash off the spider mites. Then use commercially available pest control sticks (€10.00 on Amazon) which are inserted into the soil.
How to find thrips
Stunted growth and stunted fronds indicate thrips. There are small dots on the underside of the leaves that are fecal waste. If the infestation is severe, the leaves become spotted.
Here, too, the golden fruit palm is rinsed with lukewarm water. To combat this, sticks are also stuck into the ground.
Cover the earth
Before rinsing the golden fruit palm, cover the potting soil so that the pests cannot hide in the soil.
Prevent pest infestation
A pest infestation is almost always caused by air that is too dry, especially in heated rooms.
You can prevent pest infestation by spraying the Areca palm more often with low-lime, lukewarm water. This increases the humidity. Bowls of water near plants also help.
Tip
If the Areca palm is outside in summer, you should inspect it thoroughly for pests before bringing it into the house. Otherwise, there is a risk that the pest infestation will spread and all the plants in the house will become ill.
