Garden Minute - Pecan Weevil

Feb. 3rd, 2017

This is Jason Lamb with your Gardening Minute.

Recently the New Mexico Department of Agriculture has quarantined four towns, Clovis, Hobbs, Roswell, and Artesia in Eastern New Mexico for 60 days because of the Pecan Weevil found in several residential trees. Currently we have not identified any pecan weevils here is Quay County.

The Pecan Weevil adults emerge in late summer and can feed on immature nuts and then lay their eggs. Once the larva hatch they can do the most damage. Larva are a creamy white, legless grub with reddish-brown heads that drills into a pecan shell making a bb sized hole and will consume the nutmeat.

The pecan weevil could be devastating to the New Mexico pecan industry which is the third largest in the US and produces 40 million in revenue to our state’s economy annually.

If you have a pecan tree here in Quay County and find pecans with bb sized holes in them please bring them to the Extension office for positive identification. There are several ways in which we can still harvest and sell your pecans and keep this pest from getting established here in Quay County.    

  

From more information about the Pecan Weevil please contact us at the Cooperative Extension Office at 461-0562.  We will be hosting a “Beef Producers Workshop” on February 22 at the Tucumcari Convention Center. This has been your Gardening Minute with Jason Lamb your Quay County Ag. Extension Agent. Where are programs are open to everyone.