DESCRIPTION
Adults are greyish-black, 3 to 12 mm long, hard shelled beetles with elongated snouts. Larvae are plump, legless milky white grubs with brown heads. They are seldom seen. The first sign of the insect’s presence is usually notched leaves and/or weakened plants.

DAMAGE
Root and Vine Weevils feed on a variety of berry and ornamental plants. Larvae feed on roots and girdle stems, seriously weakening plants or causing them to die. Adults feed at night, cutting half-circle notches in leaf margins. This looks unsightly, but rarely causes serious injury.
Vine weevils feed on grape bunches, causing grapes to drop off.

LIFE CYCLE
Weevils overwinter as larvae in soil, or occassionally as adults. Larvae pupate in soil with adults emerging in late spring. Adults begin laying eggs 1 to 2 weeks later (all adults are female), with each adult laying up to 500 eggs over a 2 to 3 week period. Eggs hatch in 10 to 20 days, with larvae feeding on roots through summer, fall and the following spring. There is usually one generation per year.

CONTROLS
• Check susceptible plants frequently for leaf notches, and once detected begin control measures immediately before egg laying begins.
• Collect adults at night using a flashlight, or during the day under debris near plants.
• Apply contact pesticide at night.
• Place weevil bait containing 5% sodium fluosilicate around base
of plants, then try to keep the area dry.
• Reduce/remove plants prone to weevil attack.
• Keep a pest journal for next year, recording host plants, severity
of damage, controls used and when you first noticed pest in
relation to another plant in bloom.

PESTICIDES
• Chemical-Malathion or Endosulfan at label rates.
• Alternative-Pyrethrin or Rotenone at label rates.

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