why do they paint the bottom of the palm trees white in Ixtapa?

Question

All the trees in Ixtapa Mx where painted white..in town..Why? Decoration or Bugs??

Answer 1

is called "cal" keeps ants away.

Answer 2

It is a common practice in many parts of the world. I live in China and it is common here. Here in China it has less to do with insects and more to do with preventing cars/bikes from smashing into the trees. White is more reflective than the darker color of the tree bark. It is like the white line on the side of the road in the USA. They don't care about the bugs here.

Answer 3

I've seen that everywhere in mexico. the paint contains some chemical to keep the bugs and insects from getting on the tree.

Answer 4

I asked a local here in Merida, Mexico, and he said that it was just to make them look nice, and that it was not harmful to the tree. They also build walls out of the local limestone and whitewash them to match the tree trunks.

The theories about ants and such are cute. If it was to protect fruit then farmers would do it, not city dwellers, but the opposite is true.

Answer 5

It is to keep bugs, ants mainly, off. I understand that the paint contains some sort of chemical or pesticide that actually would kill the bug.

Answer 6

One reason is to keep bugs off. Another reason is to keep things from attempting to climb the trees, the paint makes it slick so they fall off.

Answer 7

Bugs are allergic to the chemicals in paint.

Answer 8

All over Mexico they paint the trunks of fruit trees white, they do it to keep ants off.. . . .a black ant on a white background is an easy target.

Answer 9

KEEPS BUGS OFF THEM