bananamama

When I bought this house it came with a ton of banana plants which had been neglected for years. Have no idea what kind they are, just know they are yummy.

So a couple of weeks ago my bananas were fine. Now they are being eaten quickly.

The leaves start out with holes,


then become partially eaten and mottled.


Very quickly the leaf is practically gone...


and there is a rolled leaf section...


inside the rolled section.


Also found these under one leaf.


I have not actually seen the pest that is causing this. Anyone have any idea what this is and what I can do about it?

pitangadiego

Check about 10:00 at night and you will probably find your bug.

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We Be Bananas
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Magilla Gorilla

That Sucks! Good luck.

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Andrew

Chironex

I would try either a neem-based product to repel them, but you must kill the eggs, or you could try my diatomaceous earth slurry and spray it liberally over all plant surfaces. Just wear a dust mask when you make it, and spray it outdoors. If you are upwind of the spray, even better. The dust is not good to inhale, particularly if you are asthmatic. It is otherwise harmless to humans. Once mixed with water, it shouldn't be an issue. this will kill lots of bad 'bugs', mites, larvae and will also leave a residue to get the things that emerge from the eggs in case you miss a few.

To make it, go to your nearest NAPA Auto Parts store and buy a 25# bag of "Super Absorbent" part no. 8822 for about $10-13. http://www.napaonline.com/NOLPPSE/(S(fsqbu545wxnvm4udnbxamd45))/Detail.aspx?R=NOD8822_0006414227#
It is 100% diatomaceous earth. I just scoop about 1/2 cup with a small coffee strainer. Put a funnel in your misting sprayer and set this strainer on top. Pour water through the d. earth in the strainer (enough water to fill the sprayer) Spray it directly onto the plant try to get every square inch of the plant wet with this spray. Aphids, spider mites, all types of small bugs, insects, and such are gone in 1-2 days. 100% pesticide and chemical free.

Diatomaceous earth is made up of tiny crystals of fossilized plankton that slice and dice the little pests as they crawl on it. It's like razor wire to them.
Another great use for this is as a soil-less seed starting medium. It's cheaper than perlite or vermiculite and you won't get any damping off. Plus if you spill some liquid or if your car leaks fluid, you can also use it to absorb the spill.
One word of advice, it is dusty when you open the bag, so do so carefully. If you're asthmatic, wear a dust mask. Keep the sack in your garage and it will last forever. Lots of bonsai books recommend it for bonsai tree soil as well. Oh, and you can also use it as cat litter.

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Scot

modenacart

I would try soapy water first. Its a cheap way to fight bugs. It softens their exoskeletons and kills them.

Lagniappe

They also have 10 lb bags of Perlite.
NAPAONLINE®

bananamama

Hi all,
Thanks for the help so far. So I did go out at 10 pm, it was raining buckets as usual here, and I did not find the critter. Since this is a rain forest and it does rain most nights, I was wondering if trying neem or the DE slurry would work, or will it just wash off the plants?

Chironex

In that case, the neem will work better as it is oil based. The DE works well, but does rinse off. The difference is that neem won't kill the beasts, DE will. The eggs that you found need to be killed, neither will do this. But once they emerge, the DE will kill them.

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Scot

bananamama

Well it seems I've got the Banana Skipper. I have hand picked all the eggs and larva I could find. Since they all appear to be on the underside of the leaves, I decided to spray the undersides of the leaves, half with neem and half with the DE slurry. Hopefully the large leaves will keep the spray from washing off in the rain. Will monitor and let you all know which worked best.

bananamama

Update:

It has been one month since I hand picked, then sprayed. No sign of the buggers returning, naners are doing well. The Neem & DE Slurry have performed equally.

Thanks all for you help.