![]() Nut growers use insecticide applications similar to the apple growers to prevent egg-laying by the female weevils, but this is prohibitively costly for the homeowner.įor more on nut weevils as household pests, see the ISU Yard and Garden Column from September 24, 2007.Īcorn weevil emergence hole and grub. They remain in the soil for one to two years before emerging as a new adult weevil to repeat the process.Ĭontrol of nut weevils in backyard oak and hickory trees is not practical. Outdoors, these larvae tunnel into the soil to complete development. The fully-grown grub chews a perfectly round 1/8 inch hole in the side of the nut and emerges in late fall or early winter. The larva grows to 1/4 to 3/8 inch in length as it eats the entire contents of the nut, making it worthless. The egg hatches into a creamy white, grub-like larva that feeds inside the nut until fall. There are two types, or genera: the long-snouted acorn weevils (genus Curculio) and the short-snouted ones (genus Conotrachelus). The female adult weevil lays her eggs inside the immature nuts. Acorn weevils have snouts with small, saw-like teeth at the very end. Nut weevils attack the developing nuts on the tree during mid summer. The most common are closely related weevils collectively referred to as “nut weevils." After the eggs hatch, the larvae begin feeding on the inside of the acorn, which can make the acorn non-viable. They then lay an egg in the hole and plug it to camouflage their work. There are several species of insects that live inside nuts and acorns. Adult acorn weevils chew a small hole in the acorn while it’s still attached to the tree. This is the exit hole created by the pudgy, white, wrinkled, legless grub that developed inside the nut. If you spend any time at all picking up hickory nuts or acorns in the fall you have probably noticed acorns and nuts with a neat, small round hole through the side.
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