Q.These Pests Are Killing My Dwarf Samoan Coconut Palm Tree. What Are They And How Can I Control Them?
My Dwarf Samoan Coconut Palm Tree is over 20 feet tall, which makes it a challange to maintain. I cut off affected branches as soon as they appear diseased. I have sprayed and wiped pest off pinnate leaves. I applied Neem Oil at two week intervals for three applications and the pests soon returned. The Neem oil is puttin yellow spots on the pinate leaves. Please help! Linda S.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Yes, Neem oil can be a bit rough for palms in full sun. This will not fully fix the issue, however. It appears to be scale, which is an insect that will seal itself to your tree. I can't be perfectly certain with this one photos, but your description of the damage and vigor of the infestation matches up with the diagnosis.
This will be best handled by removing most infested material, and keeping good environmental practice. You may have luck with pyrethrins, as well.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/coconut/coconut-tree-problems.htm
There are many types of scale, and they can look extremely different from one another.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/control-plant-scale.htm
