Root Weevils
Root Weevil Damage to Peach Leaves
Adult Root Weevil
HOSTS
- All fruit trees, especially peach
- Strawberry
DESCRIPTION
The adults are rounded beetles with a hard exterior and a pronounced “snout”. Adults chew half-circle notches into leaf edges causing “scalloping.” Adults are primarily active at night.
Adults encountered during the day will quickly hide or drop to the ground. Young weevils are c-shaped legless grubs that feed on roots.
BIOLOGY
Root weevils, like the lilac root weevil or strawberry root weevil, overwinter as larvae in the ground. Adults emerge in the late spring to feed on foliage and lay eggs at the base of plants throughout the season.
SYMPTOMS
- Semi-circular notches at leaf edges
- Reduced plant growth due to larval feeding on roots
MONITORING
Check for leaf damage (notching at edges) in late spring.
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
The best timing to apply a treatment is in the spring and early summer when leaf-notching injury first appears, and again in the late summer to early fall to target larvae before winter. Early season treatment targets adults (carbaryl) while late season treatments target larvae in the soil. Larvae can be killed by nematodes or beneficial fungi applied to the soil at the base of plants.