Pine: White pine weevil

Biology

White pine weevils are brown beetles with light blotches on the highly curved back. Adults grow to about 1⁄4″ long and feed on shoots and needles of pines and spruces. The larvae feed on needles and also mine shoot tips, often distorting or killing back the terminals and causing trees to appear deformed. Infested terminals often develop a “shepherd’s crook” appearance. Adult beetles emerge in late summer (around mid-August into fall) and overwinter in organic debris on the ground. Damage is mainly aesthetic, however, the infested terminal usually dies.

Management Options

Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for successful plant problem management.

Non-chemical Management

Select non-chemical management options as your first choice!

• Prune out damaged terminal and train a new leader to replace it to improve tree’s appearance.
• Prune and destroy affected terminals in the summer before adult beetles emerge. This will help reduce next year’s infestation.

Chemical Management

IMPORTANT: Visit Home and Garden Fact Sheets for more information on using pesticides.

• None recommended