Entomologist advises on spread of Red Palm Mite

By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVIbes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – LOCAL Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) entomologist Llewellyn Rhodes has outlined a few simple steps that householders could follow to curb the spread of the Red Palm Mite which was recently discovered on the island.

The organism, according to a press release issued by the Agriculture Department, is a “devastating plant pest” that “threatens our agriculture” and has been found on several other countries in the Caribbean. The release also informs that the pest feeds primarily off of palms and other related plants.

It is described as being “bright red with long spatulate body setae and a droplet of liquid at the tip of most body setae in living specimen. It can be distinguished from most spider mite (Tetranychidae) by the red color (including legs), long spatulate setae, flattened bodies, on dorsal body setae and absence of the webbing associated with many spider mites,” the press release informed.

Rhodes, in an exclusive interview with SKNVibes, explained that the first things householders could do are find out what are the signs of palm diseases and keep an eye out for them.

“There are a number of pests and diseases which are affecting coconuts now, and because of that we advise householders to keep their eyes open because not only is there the palm mite but there is also lethal yellowing which is in Nevis. In keeping your eyes open, if there are any suspicious signs, symptoms like unusual yellowing, although a lot of the trees do look yellow now, that would be an indication.   ~~Adz:Right~~

Although it is difficult to see these things with the naked eye because they are so small, if you look on the underside of the leaves and you see these small red things in large numbers, especially if they are moving around, then that’s an indication that that is the palm mite. Most of the other things you would see on the coconut wouldn’t look like that and they wouldn’t be moving.”

Some householders employ persons to prune their hedges and rid their yards of untidy and overgrown shrubs and, Rhodes has advised, with respect to palm and relative trees, the practice of disposing of the pruned branches in “improper” fashions must be done away with.

“What we have found is with many householders is that they have persons that come to their homes to maintain their yards and these people will cut the branches from coconut trees and they would toss them all over the place and this is one method of spreading the Red Palm Mite around. A coconut branch could be cut from your home and it would be disposed of in a nearby ghaut or someplace away from the home itself and that’s a sure-fire way of spreading it if you have it. So that is one of the practices we are calling our attention to. It depends on whether or not your trees are infected, but try as much as possible not to spread cut limbs. If you cut limbs off your tree, chop them into small pieces and pack them in a pile in your yard. Don’t throw them over your fence or over into a ghaut. Or better yet, if you can, dispose of them properly in a landfill or some such place.”

“We are still not sure if it is in Nevis”, Rhodes said and informed that movement of coconut trees/material between the two islands is restricted; prohibited from Nevis to St. Kitts because of lethal yellowing and prohibited from St. Kitts to Nevis because of the Red Palm Mite.

“In terms of restricting the movement of the coconut and the coconut palm mite, this is something that we are also encouraging the general public to be mindful of.”

Any suspicious sightings should be reported to and advice should be sought from the Department of Agriculture.