Question
Hi,  I live in Southern Ontario, Canada. I bought a Palm Tree that is a little over 5 feet tall. It was root bound, so I took a clay pot I had outside and washed it throughly, and re-potted it. I notice now that there are various bugs living in the soil that must have been there before. I only used bagged soil and the pot was clean when I potted it. There appears to be millipedes, ants, and little white insects I believe to be termites! I see them especially when I water the tree, which I of course have to keep indoors. I'm wondering if I should just get rid of the tree because I don't want these bugs -especially termites!  How dangerous are termites? Are they native to our soil or were they in the pot when they were brought here from another area, I wonder. Please let me know if there is a way to save the tree and get rid of all the insects in the pot. It seems to be dying one large leaf at a time.  

Answer
Mary Jane, I would try to resolve the bug issue before giving up on the tree.  You need to apply an insecticide such as diazinon to control soil-borne insects.  There are also organic controls such as rotenone, but diazinon is by far the most effective.  Be sure to follow instructions on the application of any chemical or organic insectide before use.

Once the insects are killed, repot the tree one more time with fresh potting soil.  Never use garden soil when transplanting.  Apply a  fertilizer at 1/2 the recommended rate.  Make sure the fertilizer contains iron and magesium to help restore the health of the tree.  Water deeply only when the soil has almost completely dried.  This should take care of the problem.

Good luck, and please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike