CONTACT OWEN TREE AT:
BLACK VINE WEEVIL
Description
Adult black vine weevils have been known to feed on over 100 different species of plants including trees, shrubs, vines and even flowers. Landscape plants commonly damaged in Michigan include yews, hemlock, rhododendrons and azalea. Feeding damage from adult black vine weevils will appear as a crescent-shaped notch on the outer edge of the leaf. The legless, black vine weevil larvae feed on the tender roots of host plants. If young roots become scarce or the soil becomes overly moist the larvae will move closer to the plant and feed on larger roots. When there is a large population of black vine weevil larvae, or excess soil moisture, feeding damage can be found on the stem of the plant.
Lifecycle
Black vine weevil adults are gray to blackish brown, oval shaped, and about 1/2 inch long.
Female weevils emerge in late May to early July. Female weevils feed for three to six weeks before they are ready to lay eggs. After this period has passed, the females place several eggs each day into the soil or leaf litter near suitable host plants.
Black vine weevils are night feeders and hide during the day at the base of plants or in mulch and leaf litter near host plants. Adults may live 90 to 100 days and usually lay 200 eggs during their lifetime! The eggs hatch in two to three weeks and the small C-shaped, legless larvae feed on plant rootlets. By late fall the larvae have matured and are about 5/8-inch long. Black vine weevils cannot fly but they can walk quite a distance to find host plants to feed on.
How to control Black Vine Weevils
Black vine weevils can be controlled with tree or shrub spraying or soil injected insecticides. Controlling with tree or shrub spraying requires three treatments applied during the months of June, July, and August.
The other option involves an insecticide injected into the soil which the tree or shrub absorbs systemically and is dispersed evenly throughout the plant. This application is done in the spring and has a season-long residual.
Photos: Eric R. Day, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org
Black Vine Weevil feeding damage
● Linden
● Leonard
Owen Tree Service provides tree, lawn, and landscape services to the following cities and towns:
Genesee County, Michigan:
● Burton
● Davison
● Flushing
● Goodrich
● Otisville
● Clio
● Fenton
● Gaines
● Grand Blanc
● Montrose
● Otter Lake
● Flint
● Genesee
● Lennon
● Mt Morris
● Swartz Creek
Lapeer County, Michigan:
● Almont
● Brown City
● Columbiaville
● Imlay City
● Metamora
● Peck
● Attica
● Clifford
● Dryden
● Lapeer
● North Branch
● Sandusky
● Hadley
● Mayville
● Otter Lake
● Silverwood
Macomb County, Michigan:
● Armada
● Clinton Twp
● Grosse Pointe
● Macomb
● New Haven
● St Clair Shores
● Centerline
● Detroit
● Grosse Pointe Farms
● Ray
● Sterling Heights
● Chesterfield
● Eastpointe
● Grosse Pointe Shores
● Memphis
● Romeo
● Utica
● Clinton
● Fraser
● Grosse Pointe Woods
● Mt Clemens
● Roseville
● Warren
● Harrison Twp
● New Baltimore
● Shelby Twp
● Washington
Oakland County, Michigan:
● Auburn Hills
● Bloomfield Village
● Ferndale
● Orion
● South Lyon
● Berkley
● Clarkston
● Franklin
● Madison Heights
● Ortonville
● Southfield
● Beverly Hills
● Clawson
● Hazel Park
● Milford
● Oxford
● Troy
● Bingham Farms
● Commerce Twp
● Highland
● Novi
● Pleasant Ridge
● Walled Lake
● Birmingham
● Davisburg
● Holly
● Oak Park
● Pontiac
● Waterford
● Bloomfield
● Detroit
● Huntington Woods
● Oakland
● Rochester
● West Bloomfield
● Bloomfield Hills
● Farmington
● Lake Orion
● Oakland Twp
● Rochester Hills
● White Lake
● Farmington Hills
● Lathrup Village
● Orchard Lake
● Royal Oak
● Wixom
St. Clair County, Michigan:
● Algonac
● Casco
● East China
● Harbor Beach
● Lexington
● Peck
● Allenton
● Clay
● Emmett
● Harsens Island
● Marine City
● Port Huron
● Berlin
● Clyde
● Fair Haven
● Jeddo
● Marysville
● Richmond
● Brockway
● Columbus
● Fort Gratiot
● Kimball
● Memphis
● Sandusky
● Capac
● Cottrellville
● Goodells
● Lakeport
● North Street
● St Clair