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Scientists Warn a New Disease Threatens Florida Palm Trees

Tree Infected with Lethal Bronzing
UF/IFAS
Tree Infected with Lethal Bronzing
Tree Infected with Lethal Bronzing
Credit UF/IFAS
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UF/IFAS
Tree Infected with Lethal Bronzing

While you may already be familiar with the palm diseaselethal yellowing, which first turned up in Florida in Sarasota and Manatee Counties about a decade ago, scientists are starting to spread the word about another disease impacting palm trees, mostly natives, calledlethal bronzing.

It first showed up in Palm Beach County a few years ago, and is killing species like sabal or cabbage palms, silver date palms, and date palms. And while lethal yellowing can be fatal, once infected palms with lethal bronzing always die. But, researchers say there is a way to protect trees using an antibiotic. We're joined by Brian Bahder, he’s assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida, to get the latest on this new threat to Florida palms.

Copyright 2018 WGCU

Julie Glenn is the host of Gulf Coast Live. She has been working in southwest Florida as a freelance writer since 2007, most recently as a regular columnist for the Naples Daily News. She began her broadcasting career in 1993 as a reporter/anchor/producer for a local CBS affiliate in Quincy, Illinois. After also working for the NBC affiliate, she decided to move to Parma, Italy where she earned her Master’s degree in communication from the University of Gastronomic Sciences. Her undergraduate degree in Mass Communication is from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
Mike Kiniry is producer of Gulf Coast Live, and co-creator and host of the WGCU podcast Three Song Stories: Biography Through Music. He first joined the WGCU team in the summer of 2003 as an intern while studying Communication at Florida Gulf Coast University.