termites in coconut palms

gump

im currently working on a remote island in the northern territory. we are working at a school, and completing works that have been identified, by another arborists report.
he has stated that some of the coconut palms have termite infestations/active termites, and that they should be removed.
there are signs of frass, on the outside of the stem, and some have small mounds at the base, but after removing two of the coconut palms, all the stem wood is sound,and that palms are not showing any real signs of stress.

after some discussion with my work mate, we have come to the conclusion that the palms would be too soft for the termites.
i understand that the coconuts, can be a problem in high target areas, such as a school, and with out coming back 2-3 times a year to de-nut them, is removal the best option?

does anyone have any ideas on what the termites are after in the coconut palms, has anyone heard of termites in coconut palms? can they be treated?

cheers.

gump.

Eric Frei

I have seen termites in palm stumps, not often but it can happen.

There's many types of termites, you need an accurate ID, gotta catch one of them or get good pics.

Arboreal - Tree Nesting Termites in Brisbane

So nut drop is a hazard. In resorts we have removed all coconut palms that could not be accessed by EWP (by their own gardeners) for cleaning.

Sure there's things like coconet and baumvelo-climbers to maintain the trees but the owner reserves the right to decide if he wants the financial costs of that vs replace with something else.

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