Termites
Mud tubes run up the stem or culm, and the inside is hollowed out and packed with soil.
Also called
Anay
Crops it attacks
Where the damage shows
When to act
Check setts and young shoots in the first two months, and the base of young trees, palms and clumps every month for fresh mud tubes. Treat only where termites hit many setts or trees in past seasons, or where fresh tubes show on several plants. A healthy, well watered crop rarely needs it.
What to spray
Active ingredients only, never brands. The IRAC group tells how it works: switch to a different group next time, so the pest does not learn to survive it. Spray only when the damage is worth the cost, and only with products registered with the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority for your crop. Follow the label. The Shopee and Lazada links only show who sells something with that active ingredient, not a recommendation of any seller or product.
How to prevent it
- Plant healthy setts and seedlings and water them well: termites go for dry, stressed plants first.
- Clear old stumps, logs and woody trash from the field, where the colonies nest.
- Dig out mounds near nurseries and young plantings and destroy the queen.
- Use only well rotted compost or manure. Fresh woody mulch draws termites.
- Avoid wounding young trunks and roots, and keep the base of young palms and trees clean.
Natural enemies and biological help
- Ants, birds, lizards and toads eat termites. Metarhizium and Beauveria fungi can infect colonies in moist soil.
Where this comes from
Not sure it is this one?
Many pests look alike. Send a photo to Anee, the smart farm technician in anee.io. She reads it with your crop, its age and the weather, and tells you what it most likely is and what to do first. In Tagalog or English.