Just ran in to BBTV fairly close and made a note to leave in their mail box:
Your banana plants have BBTV and should be killed
Hi neighbor,
You probably already know that “something is wrong” with your banana plants. They have a permanent terminal disease caused by Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV).
(Photo from UH
Banana Bunchy Top Disease in Hawaii: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Management
or google BBTV symptoms
or bananas.org also has some info)
The virus is spread by flying insects (aphids) and by cutting tools like machetes. There is no cure other than to kill the plant so that it stops spreading it to others. The normal method to kill is to first spray soapy water on the plants to kill any aphids that might be on it, then treat the plant with “Roundup” (glyphosate) to kill it. The plants will take about a month to die and can be left in place to gradually rot (or dug up, trash will take them if 3' or shorter pieces). Once the diseased trees are killed you can replant (UH has young trees for a few bucks, grown in greenhouses free of the disease) and maybe be lucky to not catch it again. You can still grow bananas in Hawaii, you just have to recognize and kill each plant that gets the disease (and watch the neighborhood plants, too).
If you need help I will be glad to show up with tools and do it for free as long as you tell me exactly what you want done (like kill all, or only kill the ones that clearly have the disease and try to save the rest) and I can do it at my convenience.
(then my phone number, etc.)