Royal Palms are one of the most sought after palm trees here in Southwest Florida. Their majestic size, and true tropical look is used to really make a statement. They can also be very expensive to purchase and increase in value as they grow. So the last thing you want is for some bug to damage your palm or make it look sick!

The royal palm bug feeds only on Royal Palms (Roystonea regia). As the royal palm bugs feed on freshly opened leaves, yellow streaks appear. The leaves turn brown and wilt as the bugs multiply. The leaves will eventually become tattered, gray and dead. The damage caused by these bugs is unattractive and detrimental to the palm’s grown and health. Royal palm bugs will rarely, if ever, kill a palm.

Royal Palm Bugs

Royal palm bugs lay their eggs in the spring along the midribs of new leaflets. Eggs are usually deposited inside the folds of a new leaf. This actually helps to protect the eggs until they hatch in eight to nine days. The amount of time for an egg to hatch and reach adulthood is about one month.

Have you noticed your new palm fronds deteriorating right before your eyes? We recommend one palm drench each year to prevent this from happening to your beautiful royal palms! Because these palms are so tall they are difficult to reach the fronds and spray effectively. Also when spraying you need to worry about drift and where that spray might end up landing. The drench is applied carefully and very slowly so the palm tree can react and draw this up through the plant. You need to be a professional to do this so as to not risk the life of your valuable royal palms.

We recommend this application in December to disrupt the life cycle of the royal palm bug. If you think you may need this treatment, click here or just give us a call!