It is a proven fact, look at the photos.
Picture's always tell a story, watch these photo's protect our cycads against the biggest threat to hit the most endangered organism in the world!
We all, by know, should know about the moth, the eggs, and Larwa destroying the male pollen within 2 to 3 days after male starts shedding pollen!
About a year ago we pollinated an e. Munchii female and 1 week later, returning to the plant we discovered, to our dismay, the larva all over the pollen on top of the female cones, completely destroying the pollen.
This year we found the same larva on male cones in nature! They did not get their by chance, they are part of the deal!
With the big collections of cycads in private collections and just about nobody knowing about the problem, or just simply ignoring it, not doing anything about the problem, the pest is out of control! No natural predators in our gardens, warm winters and nobody doing anything about it and making it off as just another larva (worm) bluntly just ignoring the fact that we have a disaster on our hands! Normally we found the problem only on broad leaf cycads, but to our dismay we discovered another thing by chance, by accident!!!
These moths have been around for some time and they are clever and they are not going to go away by themselves!
Last week 6 to 7 days ago we put some male pollen on a rare narrow leaf female cones, and guess what, 6 to 7 days later going back to the female to see if the male pollen did in fact trigger the female to open up for pollination, (this is already trialed and tested) the male pollen has a chemical smell,this in return causes a reaction with the female to start opening up to be pollinate, the female was in fact open for pollination!!
The only disaster we discovered when opening up the top scales of the female, that the larva (worms) was already there and destroying the male pollen!!!
All over the female cone you could see the markings of a moth which laid her eggs in the outer side of the female cone , the most devastating is the fact that you could clearly see the spider like webs on the outside of the female cone!!!! Which is part of the moth and larva (worm) once you see these spider web type of webs on male and female cones, be aware, be very, very aware, and do something about it!
It seems (an fact actually) that the male pollen gives of a chemical reaction (smell) and the moth reacts on the smell and 6 to 7 days later you've got a problem on hand!
What I have discovered 4 to 6 years ago, to sort out the problem; you have to spray all cones, male and female 2 to 3 weeks prior to pollen shredding or female cone opening up for pollination with a mix of Chlorpyrifos and wetting agent. That prevents the moth, keeps her away, for the critical time of pollination and pollen shredding (collecting) this in fact will also help to keep the population of these moths in control!!!
Last but not the least, Chlorpyrifos is for once and all not off the market, Chlorpyrifos is the active ingredient! Check out this same web-site for all the insecticides and fungicides, with all the listed insecticides and fungicides in Southern Africa!
Please check out the active ingredients, not the name, please, like Durban for instance, with the same active ingredient, Chlorpyrifos or simply go green and try something like Kakie-Bos, it's not a joke it's on the market!
Check out this web-site: http://www.margaretroberts.co.za/
Note: if you apply the same spraying method you will control all of the insects that wants to destroy, the seed, (Cycad beetle, laying eggs in the seed, which emerges out of the seed, at time off seed shedding, the pollen, (larva destroying your pollen in 3 days) the cone (moths laying eggs in the male and female cones, which hatches into larva (worms) basically eating up the scales) and destroying your harvest! And last but not the least is to keep aphids under control (they can also destroy your pollen!!!) male and male pollen on your female cone!!!
By the way, all off these secrets is all in the book:
