Nematodes against
BIOLOGICAL BANANA MOTH CONTROL
The banana moth (Opogona sacchari) is a conspicuous moth that grows to around 1 cm long and has a wingspan of 1.8 to 2.6 cm. The forewings are brown with a golden sheen, interspersed with small black dots and occasional dark brown stripes. In contrast, the hind wings are significantly lighter in colour. A special feature: While most moths lay their antennae backwards, the banana shoot borer points its antennae straight forwards when at rest.
The eggs of the banana shoot borer are initially light yellow and change colour from dark yellow to a yellow-brownish tone shortly before hatching.
The caterpillars are also easy to identify: They reach a length of up to 3.5 cm, have a semi-transparent body, a brown-red head and conspicuous brown breast plates. They are also characterised by their high mobility and strong appetite.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY BANANA MOTH LARVAE
The greatest damage is caused by the caterpillars of the banana moth. They eat tunnels in stems and leaves, but avoid the outer bark, so that the damage often only becomes visible late. Typical symptoms are wilting plant parts that feel soft and sunken to the touch. In some crops, the caterpillars can hollow out entire stems. In severe infestations, fungi and bacteria also colonise the feeding galleries, leading to rotting and further decay of the plant tissue.
CONTROL BANANA MOTH WITH BENEFICIAL NEMATODES
For effective and environmentally friendly control of caterpillars, we recommend the use of beneficial nematodes of the species Steinernema carpocapsae. These natural antagonists actively penetrate the caterpillars and control them reliably and completely biologically.
The product nemastar® contains Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes, which are used to control the banana shoot borer. The nematodes are simply mixed with water and poured onto the soil. The application rate is 0.25 - 0.5 million nematodes per m2 area. The soil temperature should be at least 14°C.
The nematodes can be mixed with other biological and chemical agents. A detailed overview can be found in our miscibility table.
Mixability of nematodes
Nematodes of the species Steinernema carpocapsae