Black vine weevil management in nursery plants

The black vine weevil has recently been recognized as a serious pest in some California nurseries. Extensive losses have occurred in several northern California nurseries as a result of black vine weevil larvae feeding on roots of perennial plants, including azaleas, cyclamen, escallonia, euonymus, gardenia, juniper, liquidamber, rhododendron, photinia, and taxus. The life history and feeding damage of the black vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus , were described in detail by Parrella and Keil. Although no economic threshold levels have been established, the presence of a significant number of black vine weevil adults will require the use of an adulticide such as acephate (Orthene). Application two or more hours after dark is most effective, because adult populations increase on the foliage until three or four hours after sunset.