Root weevil
Adults are small, gray black beetles, 0.13 to 0.38 inch
long, with curved snouts and elbow-shaped antennae. Mature
larvae are up to 0.38 inch long, white or pink, C-shaped,
and legless.
Identification of species | Life cycle
Damage
Adults generally feed on foliage. Leaves appear notched or ragged and may be clipped from twigs. The
most serious damage is done by larvae, which feed on roots and can destroy root hairs and chew the bark
and cortex off larger roots. Some may tunnel into the crown and destroy crown tissue. In vegetables, damage
is usually first seen as wilting and dying plants in a localized area of the garden.
Solutions
Destroy adult weevils to prevent more serious damage. On trees, trim branches that provide a bridge to
other plants or the ground. On strawberries, destroy all affected plants, then move outward in a circular
pattern, removing plants that appear healthy and examining roots and crowns for larvae and pupae until
you no longer find weevils. Replant if necessary after working the soil well. Set up a sticky barrier
with Tanglefoot around trunks or around the planting area. Apply commercially available parasitic
nematodes when larvae or pupae are expected to be present (in midsummer to fall). Soil must be warm and moist. No
effective insecticides are available for larvae.
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Black
vine weevil adult
Root weevil damage to strawberries
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