What insect pests attack bananas?
The banana weevil, cosmopolites sordidus and plant nematodes are the most destructive pests of bananas in Uganda. These pests may result in severe yield loss if uncontrolled. It results from larvae feeding and tunneling into banana corms and pseudostems.
Do bugs live in bananas?
Banana Aphid Banana aphids attack a variety of tropical plants, but bananas are the most susceptible. This pest is fairly small, about 1/12 of an inch. They move in colonies, clinging to the banana plant and feeding on the plant’s tissue.
What’s eating my banana plant?
The banana weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) is an invasive insect that infests banana trees, feasting on the trunk and leaves. The weevil hides inside the leaf sheath during daylight hours and does its damage in darkness. The banana weevil is native to southeast Asia but is now found in banana crops around the world.
What rodent eats bananas?
In fact, pretty much all mice will eat bananas when presented. While mice do have their own unique preferences and tastes, generally speaking mice enjoy this fruit.
What are the little black dots inside bananas?
These spots are commonly referred to as bruises. These bruises mean that the fruit is ripe and that the acid within has been converted to sugar. In other words, the banana is at the peak of its sweetness.
How do weevils affect bananas?
The banana weevil is the most important insect pest of banana and plantain. Banana weevil larvae bore in the corm, damaging the root and vascular system, reducing nutrient and water uptake, and weakening the stability of the plant. Attack in newly planted banana stands can lead to crop failure.
How do I get rid of bugs on my banana plants?
Insecticides, soapy water, and horticultural oil can help mitigate the population of aphids, but if the plant already has bunchy disease, it is best to destroy the plant.
Is overripe banana safe to eat?
Although overripe bananas may not really look very appetising–the fruit turns soggy while the banana peel may turn black or brown–they are very good for our health. An overripe banana is rich in antioxidants, which, according to livestrong.com, is beneficial in preventing or delaying cell damage in one’s body.
Are black spots on bananas bad?
Unripe fruit just shouldn’t be eaten. Always eat your fruit ripe, folks! The dark spots on ripe yellow bananas signal that your banana contains high levels of a substance called Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), which destroys cancerous tumours.
What eats the banana weevil?
javanus larva entered tunnels of plants, presumably in search of banana weevil stages. Ants are the major predatory group now present in banana farming systems in Uganda. Surveys in banana farms found 55 species from pitfall traps, 17 from banana pseudostem residues and 34 from banana corms.
How do you control Corm weevil?
Mechanical Control
- Use of pheromone trap @ 25 traps /ha to destroy the weevil populations.
- Disc-on-stump traps can be used for trapping weevils. Disc-on-stump traps consist of corm slices placed on top of harvested plants cut at the rhizome.
- Keep the longitudinal split banana traps @ 100/ha.
What is killing my banana plant?
The banana root borer (Cosmopolites sordidus) is a major pest of banana plants, and infests all types of bananas. Banana root borers will attack all parts of your plant, but prefer decaying corm material, such as spent stems and underground corm stubs.