Originally Posted by bengtang

Why keep them away? They protect the banana plant from caterpillars, snails etc.

As for the corm dividing method, i have done it, nothing special, no need to remove the roots, just look for the buds and cut out a piece of corm with the bud in it and plant it with the bud facing up. The soil here is heavy orange clay so i plant very shallow, in a depression but just below the surface of the soil, almost exposed, so that the cutting doesn't suffocate.

Usually when you dig up the corm you will also find one or more suckers starting to grow, those can be used like any other suckers. The buds should be cut out with as much corm attached to each as possible, like wedge shaped pieces of the corm.