Bananas attract many different types of insects.
Like most crops, the banana plant is attractive to a variety of insects which gorge on their leaves and cause damage to banana plantations. The insects that bother bananas are those that live in hot, tropical climates where the banana plant is grown. Does this Spark an idea?
Aphids
Aphids are small, reddish-brown to almost black, oval insects which are native to banana growing regions such as northern Queensland in Australia. They attach themselves to the underside of the banana plant leaves and on the plant stems, causing the plant to die. They are tiny -- barely bigger than a pin head. If found you should kill them by pushing down on them or by spraying them off the plant with a hose. Natural predation by ladybird beetles, hoverflies, earwigs and lacewings can keep numbers down.
Thrips
Banana-silvering thrips are small brown insects that can cause significant damage to bananas. They appear in bananas and passion fruits most commonly and feed on the fruit. It is easy to spot whether thrips have attacked a banana, as brown excrement covers the fruit. The leaves will become brown and eventually die. To effectively remove thrips from banana leaves, spray them with a mixture of soapy water.
Skippers
Banana skippers are a notorious pest of bananas in south and east Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Guam. Banana skipper larvae will roll the banana leaf over and shelter underneath it, severely damaging the banana crop as a result. They will also attack bamboo, Manila hemp and coconut leaves. Once they become caterpillars, the skippers will hide inside their shelters during the day and come out to feed at night.
Coconut Scale
Coconut scale are tiny gray bugs that commonly appear in banana plantations. Once coconut scale find themselves on the banana plant, they will suck the juices out and leave the leaves looking pale yellow. These insects are common on the Hawaiian islands as well as American Samoa, Fiji, French Polynesia and Sri Lanka. Their presence has led to whole plantations being shut down and quarantined after a breakout.
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