What kind of pests are these? (Photos)

[Palmfarmer]

What are these?

usually deadly for big healthy palms? 

I ordered some neem oil and some plant soap I am waiting for. 

Best course of action? Soap, scrub and rinse followed by neem oil application? 

[GottmitAlex]

Those are spider mites.  And to answer your last two questions: Yes.

Those appear when the weather is dry. 

 

 

 

[Kim]

Is this a Pritchardia? Some have wooly tomentum exactly as seen in photos 4 & 5. That is normal. The texture on the petiole may be normal as well -- I don't see any tiny spider webs, but the photos would need to be sharper to detect them. Spider mites are tiny hard black specks that can quickly suck the life out of a palm. I'm not sure what you are seeing isn't just the normal state of the palm.

[Palmfarmer]

3 hours ago, Kim said:

Is this a Pritchardia? Some have wooly tomentum exactly as seen in photos 4 & 5. That is normal. The texture on the petiole may be normal as well -- I don't see any tiny spider webs, but the photos would need to be sharper to detect them. Spider mites are tiny hard black specks that can quickly suck the life out of a palm. I'm not sure what you are seeing isn't just the normal state of the palm.

The last 2 last photos is of a Robusta and the first ones are my Royal palm. 

[Palmfarmer]

The spear of the washingtonia seems to be covered in a white layer as well. Not sure if I am being paranoid or what. 

[Palmfarmer]

Would greatly appriciate if some more people could chime in before I treat them. To be clear the 3 first photos are of a Royal while the 2 second photos is of a Robusta. 

[Silas_Sancona]

Would like to see closer up / clearer shots of pictures 4 and 5...  Could be natural tomentum, but could be Mealy Bugs...  1st picture may have a few Mealys on it also.. 

Pictures 2 and 3 look like natural tomentum / fuzz..

Insecticidal Soap, or a water / rubbing Alcohol mixture spray  would knock down the Mealy Bugs, though you'll have to repeat the treatments every so many weeks until you kill any remaining nymphs that try to re establish themselves  ..if that is what is occurring..



 

[Silas_Sancona]

For you, @Phoenikakias, and others, here's a quick run down on what to look for when it comes to Spider Mites ..and some insects that make webby homes on leaves..   now, while this example deals w/ a softer-leaved subject, Ivy-leaved Morning Glory, the same " idea " applies to what you would see on ..pretty much any other plant w/ a similar Spider Mite infestation..

When i mention " getting in there " to get the clearest, most detailed shots possible,  you'll see what i mean.

Before and after shots of the same plant:

Easy to see the results of a Spider Mite feast this summers' un-ending extreme heat, dusty, and still air has attracted.. Note the reddish dots, even from this far out.



How things look after rinsing down the foliage a few times, + at least " some " naturally- provided scrubbing, aka, some rain ...and some new growth. Mites are still around, but far less of an issue.. Since they float in the air, it is pretty much impossible to stop them from ever getting to outdoor- grown plants.





Spider Mites:  Note that you can see the reddish " specks " from a distance, as mentioned above.. Very obvious what those specks are when you dial in on them.  There is some webbing present between the leaf lobe on the right too, but notice it isn't thick or very obvious..  Not certain on the exact spider mite sp. but Two spotted is pretty common here.





Note too that ..while there is webbing,  it is very fine / hard to see..  Even at the worst stage of this cycle, you couldn't really see mass webbing from them covering the foliage ( Shot #1 in the " Before and after shots )



With that said, there are ..seemingly.. a gazillion types of Spider Mite sps and some do form more / thicker webbing.. Very rare that it becomes heavy enough that it looks like X plant is a Spider mansion ..IE;  every leaf is covered appears to be a hard to see through mass of thick webs.  I've honestly only seen that occur on indoor-grown plants, inc. some of mine a couple times in the past. Not impossible ..but not as common to see that outdoors..

In those extreme cases, Webbing from them will also cover a large area of effected leaves rather than just one spot, or the space created by the pleats in a palm frond.


Leaf miner / Roller sp ( ...a type of Moth )

Note the webby stuff it is hiding in while foraging.. A few Spider Mites on the leaf too.. Note the brown specks of " Frass " Aka Caterpillar poo scattered all over the leaf.




And the thicker webby stuff between the two leaves, where this bugger hides when it gets too hot to forage on the right.   Can easily see where it has eaten att he green tissue in a patch of leaf just below it's house.

Birds ( ..Verdins / Finches here ) various Wasps, and Praying Mantis will take care of these when noticed.  No need for chemical control.



 

[PalmsandLiszt]

I don't think any of these look like mealy bugs. Photos 1 & 3 could be fungal/bacterial growth, but outside and well-ventilated this is unlikely to be a worry. Photo 2 looks like normal petiole stubble and the last ones are normal washie fuzziness. It's too even and symmetrical to be mealy bugs.