The pest control issue is not insignifigant; and extends to our state bird the Palmetto Bug. They stink when smushed and have an unnerving look and prescence of 2", 1oz. flying cockroach, also rats, snakes, bee hives, bats, fire ants, multi-colored lizards etc. many times giving access/range to a building. The rotting palm fronds can stink and draw grubs, hold mold and fugi that when dry can explode into a areial powder bloom when you are working. i hate working palms!
On some 'Queens' (?) the seed pods can get over 6' and 100#, maybe 4" in diameter, especially before they open and the pods are this compact torpedo that will invert to send the pointed top down first when being cut, ive seen one sunk a fair 18" in some wet ground. People alergic to bees will especially have these cut out if near the home, before opening those massive seed pods; might be 20+ in some palms easy? (not all 100# category on one tree, at least not here). Some palms have sharp needles that form near the crown of the fronds, where the start as leaves and become hardened, light starved almost foot long needles.
i've always been a lil'chicken to use this line over crown method for fear of hurting the growing tip, for it puts a 2/1 of the bouncing force of your weight on the tip with a 1/2" line footprint of wieght bearing. Any thoughts in thqt area? But then when squeezed i did step off the ladder with spikes if i had to for a few feet, the started with the etriers and not doing tall ones. Now i flip em to a bucket guy, or tell'em that is out of my area.
There is also some theory i've read somewhere that overtrimming to a tight 11o'clock to 1 o'clock like Brian says(not to); is that it tends to make the palms grow to fast and thin, by urging them up? If that is true, it also makes them harder to service next year. Just more excuses to do the right thing i think.....
Nice when you can come from the top down, trying to walk up under 10 years+ of bent over razor sharp fronds into who know's who's domain is no fun (but can be done without spikes on hefty fronds); especially while your eyes are adjusting to the noon darkness under the skirt to catch what light you can.
Palms can be beaautiful reminders of tropical presents in a portrait landscape; but they can be nasty, hate em...!
