How to Kill Termites That Are Attacking Live Palm Trees

Killing termites in a palm tree can be challenging.

The appearance of termites and termite damage causes fear in many homeowners. The problem with termites is that they live almost entirely underground or within the wooden structures of buildings, thus they are undetected. If a palm tree is infected with termites, it must be treated with pesticide products. If left untreated, the termites will kill the palm tree and eventually move and infest nearby homes and buildings. Killing termites in palm trees is most successful when the termite colony is detected early.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• 5-gallon bucket
• Liquid termite pesticide (termiticide)
• Water
• Termite baits

Instructions

Apply Liquid Termiticide

1. Use a shovel to dig a 6-inch wide and 6-inch deep trench around the palm tree. The trench should be approximately 1 foot away from the base of the tree and form a circle.

2. Mix the termiticide solution with water in a 5-gallon bucket as instructed on the product packaging.

3. Pour the liquid termiticide mixture into the trench all the way around the palm tree. The mixture should be applied at a rate of four gallons per 10 feet, so one bucket should cover the entire trench.

4. Fill the trench in with the soil that you previously removed.

Install Termite Bait Traps

1. Dig 6-inch deep by 6-inch wide holes in the ground approximately 1 to 2 feet away from where you dug the trench. The holes should be equally spaced around the perimeter of the tree in a circle at distance of 3 to 4 feet apart.

2. Purchase termite bait traps and insert one bait trap into each hole so that only the top cover of the trap is above the soil line.

3. Fill in the holes with soil making sure that there are no air pockets around the termite bait traps.

4. Wait three months and examine a trap for termites by digging it up. If termites are present, or if the interior bait level has decreased, replace the baits with new ones.

Tips & Warnings

• Termites are slow eaters; if infestation of the palm tree is found early, it can be easily treated.

• Most termites only eat decaying wood, so inspect the palm tree carefully for signs of decay or disease.

References

• Kill the Termites: Baits
• Do it Yourself Termite Control: Termite Control and Do It Yourself Termite Baits
• Do it Yourself Termite Control: Controlling Termites with liquid termiticides