Pepper weevil
Anthonomus eugenii
| Type | Insect |
|---|---|
| When | Mainly late spring through fall; all year where hosts grow year-round. |
| Pressure by region | Moderate: Southeast, South Central, Southwest, California, Hawaii |
About
A tiny, dark mahogany to black weevil, about an eighth of an inch long, with a long snout. Its grubs feed inside pepper buds and pods in the southern states, and it can hitchhike north on transplants.
Spotting it
Damage
Blossom buds and small peppers yellow at the stem and drop in large numbers. Peppers that stay on the plant can turn red or yellow early and are black, moldy and full of droppings inside.
How to find it early
Look for tiny dark weevils on buds and young fruit, and cut open dropped peppers to check for grubs inside.
When
Mainly late spring through fall; all year where hosts grow year-round.
Life cycle
It has no winter rest, so it keeps breeding wherever peppers or wild nightshades grow year-round. A generation takes about 20 to 30 days in summer, with five to eight generations a year in warm areas.
What to do, gentlest first
Start at the top. Sprays are a last step; always read and follow the product label.
Buy clean transplants Prevent
Avoid pepper plants grown where pepper weevil is a problem, especially plants already carrying small fruit.
Remove wild hosts and take a break Prevent
Pull nightshade weeds such as black nightshade and horsenettle, and leave a pepper-free period between crops so the weevils have nothing to breed on.
Pick up dropped fruit By hand
Collect and destroy fallen buds and peppers often, since grubs inside them become the next generation.
Parasitic wasps Natural enemies
The wasp Catolaccus hunteri parasitizes pepper weevil grubs; UF/IFAS reports up to 26 percent parasitism.
Plants it goes after
Pressure by region
Found across the southernmost states from Florida to California, including Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Georgia, and in Hawaii. It reaches the Carolinas mostly on plants shipped from infested areas (NC State). No regional severity source was found, so the moderate ratings are estimates, and the other low ratings are estimates too.
| Northeast | Low |
|---|---|
| Southeast | Moderate |
| South Central | Moderate |
| Midwest | Low |
| Great Plains | Low |
| Mountain West | Low |
| Southwest | Moderate |
| Pacific Northwest | Low |
| California | Moderate |
| Alaska | Low |
| Hawaii | Moderate |
Ratings come from extension sources where available; some are estimates, as noted above.
Sources
Planting dates and advice are general guidance; check with your local Cooperative Extension office for your area.