Martin wrote:

Hi,
Five years ago pool or majestic palms where the 'in' thing to plant. Now
they become an absolute desaster. They start to fruit, all the tiny
coconuts fall to the ground, bats enjoy to eat them and do their thing
all over the garden ,cars, and washing line.
To get rid of them you need specialist. On one of my properties I have 8
not so tall plants, which have not seeded jet. I was going to take them
all out but a neighbour told me that there are male and female plants, so
that if you have male plants you do not have the problem with the seeds.
Is that correct?
I thought I better check with you people before I get rid of them.
regards
Wolfgang

Wolfgang, I sympathise with you! We have had the nasty, stinky palm fruits to
squelch underfoot in our yard and our dog just *loves* eating them and then
(dare I say it?) eating them *again*, if you know what I mean! The smell of the
fermenting palm fruits is very bad, but the smell of my dog's breath is like the
winds from the d*vil's bottom! The bats come from miles around to eat fruiting
structures that are bigger than I am (and that's saying something!) and they do
their business all over everything. Batpoo born of palm fruits is an apostasy! A
person hasn't lived until s/he's had to scrape congealed batpoo off a windscreen
in the morning just to get to work! YUCK!

Don't be fooled: the male plants can be just as awful as the females! My kids
suffer agonies of hayfever whenever our neighbours' palms are releasing pollen
and it wafts all over my washing, leaving a floury, awful mess! It's copious,
sticky and revolting and it lasts for about three days! YUCK!

My personal opinion is that palm trees are vile and disgusting and better off on
a desert island somewhere! This is just my personal opinion and I wouldn't want
to persuade you to do anything against your better judgement or anything!

If you can't take the trees out, my only suggestion is that you send some agile
teenager up the trees to cut off the male and female flowers before they open.
They form as long green 'buds' encased in a leathery outer shield and they
spring from between the palm fronds nearest the top. You have to be vigilant
doing this because once the fruiting bodies start to form, you'll be faced with
removing a monstrous thing that weighs about a tonne and hits the ground with a
loud thudd, endangering anyone standing beneath!

Best of luck with your awful palms! Let us know what you decide to do, won't
you?

Just my 2c worth...
--
Trish {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia