Prevention of the Disease
Lethal yellowing is carried by a flying planthopper, (myndus crudus), that feeds on palm sap;

it is when the bug feeds that the disease is transmitted. The bug carries the disease in the form of an oil based "toxin", referred to in the industry as aphytoplasma organism. There is no cure. However, we have an effective preventative program using the Tree Saver (Registered) injection system and a water base antibiotic, oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC). This combats the disease in two ways: 1.) The OTC makes the sap taste very bad, so the bug finds feeding on treated trees undesirable. 2.) The presence of the OTC seems to greatly retard the phytoplasma's ability to live and or "prosper". Being a water base antibiotic in a water base organism, the half life of it's presence in the trees is only 4 months, thus the need for 3 injections per year, (at 4 month intervals). This is a long term, ongoing project and needs to be continued once it is started.

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