Strawberry Root Weevils
Otiorhynchus ovatus
The adult Strawberry Root Weevils are harmless but can become a pest if they move into your home during the summer months. Some years, the population can be very high and very annoying indoors. Because they are wingless and crawl – try using Diatomaceous Earth on all hard surfaces that they travel to control their population. It is best to caulk or replace broken screens that provide entry points for them.
The larvae feed on the roots of wild and cultivated strawberry plants, bramble bushes and some ornamentals. They can completely devour small rootlets and destroy the bark and cortex of larger roots. Injured plants often wilt because the roots can no longer provide moisture for leaves. Weevil larvae can also be found burrowed into the lower portion of the plant's crown. Adults feed on foliage and remove large scallops from the leaves. Such leaf damage is a good indication that weevils are present, but is not economically damaging to the plants. Root weevils have a single generation each. They overwinter as mature larvae in the soil. In the spring, they resume feeding and can cause extensive damage before they pupate. While the larvae are in the soil, treat with beneficial nematodes. The species Heterorhabditis bacteriaphora are recommended by universities.
Photo courtesy of: Oregon State University, IPM
Please see the control products below. For information about different species of weevil click here.
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$36.00–$270.00
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$52.00–$325.00
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$14.75–$29.25
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$90.00–$900.00
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$11.99–$101.92
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