Posted on 08/30/2011 4:38:30 PM PDT by ConservativeStatement
ST PETERSBURG An insect with a disgusting habit is killing palm trees in the Tampa Bay area and experts are worried the disease transmitted by the bugs will affect trees around the state.
The first Florida sighting of Texas Phoenix Palm Decline was in 2005 in Manatee County. Since then, it's been detected in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk counties, although experts say Manatee County is still the hardest-hit area.
According to University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the disease is spread by a planthopper insect but the exact kind of bug isn't yet known. The insects pierce the palm leaves, then vomit and the vomit spreads the bacteria that causes the disease.
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
Sounds like a job for a natural enemy of the puking bugs.
Sound likes an invasion of New York Leftist Democrats (Are there any other kind?).
Who you gonna call? Demobusters!
Probably some foreign cootie..They’re brought in all the time along with all our imported food, machinery, shoes, computers, lumber, sunglasses, etc...
No worries though, if it gets worse, your government will come over with a fleet of helicopters and spray the city.
Why are these bugs puking? Did they see Me-chelle Obama in another skirt?
“...The insects pierce the palm leaves, then vomit...”
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I still remember when I had my first beer...
Yes, you have, but it's taxpayer money, so, whatever.
Pheonix Dactylifera (Indian Date Palms) -- architectural masterpieces -- were going for around $400/ft of trunk wholesale when I left that business 7 years ago. They are not native but come from huge groves in Cali and Tx. And they were starting to line the boulevards of all the re-gentrified "downtowns" and artsy districts during the boom. It was a disaster waiting to happen, to those of us paying attention. They were buying all shiney, new equipment, big, expensive palm trees, every square foot of paveable space was done over with those awful concrete pavers...ick. Anyway...
gawd ain't that gorgeous!
Shouldn’t this thread have a barf alert?
Bring on the palmetto bugs. Have to be good for something.
Reminds me of monitor lizards that don’t bite to kill. They bite to infect.
If they could just get the bug to vomit on KUDZU, all our problems would be solved.
If you say so. LOL
I know nothing about them.
You are lucky. LOL. They are nasty bastards.
Florida is a haven for all sorts of things from foreign lands.
Other than Florida, the only place where they seem to breed even larger is El Paso.
Like Europeans? LOL!
#18: Damned! An unknown photo of Helen Thomas as a teenager.
Boy was she hot, as in “Hotshot” insect spray.
Mystery Bug Vomit would be a great name for a rock band.
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