MSU Extension Integrated Pest Management

Chewing pests

Black vine weevil adults do not possess wings, so they cannot fly. The adults are active primarily at night and hide during the day in debris or under plant containers. Adults feed on a wide variety of herbaceous perennials. The larvae, which are located in the growing medium, are white and grub-like and feed on plant roots.

The adult is black with patches of fine yellow hairs covering its body. It has a short, snout-shaped mouth that creates characteristic notches on plant leaves during feeding (see below).

Management

Remove plant and growing medium debris from the area. Contact insecticides with residual activity can be applied to the foliage in the evening. Beneficial nematodes such as Heterorhabditis bacteriophora may be applied as a drench to individual containers. The nematodes attack and kill the larval stage.

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