Boll Weevil Control
Most Effective Products
Boll Weevil Control: How to Get Rid of Boll Weevils
This page is an expert guide on getting rid of Boll Weevils using the products and methods suggested by our experienced pest control specialists. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee you will be successful in removing Boll Weevils from your home.
Have you come across little black bugs in your home? Or maybe you have a garden or crop area and have noticed them there. They very well could be a rare infestation of Boll Weevils.
Boll Weevils are notorious pests that cause significant damage wherever there is cotton that is growing. They are a damaging pest on croplands and eat into the profits of farmers by feeding on cotton plants. While it may be unlikely that you will have cotton plants growing in your yard or in your home, Boll Weevils do on occasion end up in homes usually by accident during their search for cotton.
If you are worried about the threat of Boll Weevils, follow our DIY Boll Weevil control guide which will give you some insight on this pest and how you can eliminate their presence.
Identification
Boll Weevils are a beetle species that is part of the weevil family of pests. They are very small, measuring in at about 6 mm long (a 1/4th of an inch) and are colored either black, reddish-brown or gray. They have wings and a unique curved snout.
Boll Weevils are mostly found in North America, particularly United States and Mexico and are most known for invading croplands to infest cotton plants and feed on cotton. Female Boll Weevils lay approximately 100 to 300 eggs inside cotton buds, grains, barley, rye and fruits. The infestation of this cotton-eating pest causes a lot of damage and loss every year for farmers. Less often, the Boll Weevil can also be found in gardens, orchards feeding on plants and at times entering homes.
Use the description and image above to help you in properly identifying whether the pest you are noticing is a Boll Weevil.
Inspection
Unlike Rice Weevils and Grain Weevils that commonly infest pantries, the Boll Weevil is a weevil species that you are less likely to find in your home or garden and more likely to find on crop sites where cotton is growing. If they do find their way into a residence, it is totally by accident. That's because their main source of food is cotton.
While their affinity for cotton may make homeowners concerned for their clothing and furniture, you may be relieved to know that Boll Weevils only like eating cotton straight from the cotton plant. That's bad news if you are a farmer that is growing cotton.
Where To Look
In residences, start by inspecting any clothing or items that were recently brought into the home. Boll Weevils can attach themselves to clothing or boxes or pieces of equipment that have come from somewhere else and accidentally ended up in your home.
On croplands, you should walk around and observe your crops, in particular, where you are growing your cotton plants and any crops adjacent to the cotton plants.
What To Look For
The main sign to look for if you have an invasion of Boll Weevils are the Boll Weevils themselves. They will only breed and feed where they can find cotton plants, primarily cropland. If your home doesn't have any cotton plants, they have no business there and will be looking to find a way outdoors.
Treatment
Boll Weevils are a major issue on croplands and a minor issue when found in or around residences. In this treatment section we will present treatment options for both farmers and homeowners to eliminate Boll Weevils.
For Boll Weevil infestations on croplands, we recommend a broadcast treatment of Malathion 57 Insecticide. For Boll Weevil invasions in homes, a simple vacuuming clean up and laying traps should eliminate the invaders.
For Farmers:
Step 1 - Apply Malathion 57% To Cotton Crops
Malathion 57% is an organophosphate insecticide that can be applied to crops and non-crop plants to kill a wide variety of insects, including Boll Weevils. For large croplands, Malathion is primarily used with a professional skid sprayer or boom sprayer.
Determine how much Malathion 57% you will need by calculating the acreage of the treatment area. To do this, you will need to measure and multiply the area length times the width to get the square footage (length x width = square footage) and then divide the total square footage by 43,560 to get acreage (square footage/43,560 = Acreage). To treat for Boll Weevils, you will need to mix 2 to 4 pints of Malathion 57% per acre in at least 200 gallons of water.
Apply no more than 3 times per year with at least a 7-day interval between applications. Apply in a fan spray setting to obtain uniform coverage of the cotton crops, spraying to wet but not to the point of dripping or runoff.
For Homeowners:
Step 1 - Vacuum Up The Boll Weevils
It is highly unlikely that you will find a full-blown Boll Weevil infestation in your home. If there are a couple that you have found scattering around, a simple vacuuming may be able to do the trick in eliminating the invasion.
Vacuum the area where you have found them and go ahead and vacuum the entire house just to be on the safe side. Vacuum your furniture using the crevice attachments. As for clothing, go ahead and put suspected clothing in the wash.
Step 2: Set Up Glue Traps
For Boll Weevils that you have not been able to find but had seen at one point, you can try to capture them with the help up some glue traps. Apply Solutions Pro Glue Boards in suspected areas.
Solutions Pro Glue Boards are a ready-to-use, pesticide-free trap that can be laid out trap weevils. Simply remove the protective paper from the pre-baited glue and fold the trap into a pyramid shape then place baits strategically around suspected areas in closets, under furniture, in bedrooms, on shelves, etc.
Monitor the glue traps from time to time to see if Boll Weevils have been captured. If they have, you can then dispose of the trap according to remove the insect.
Prevention
Once the Boll Weevil infestation has been eliminated, you should make sure you don't accidentally bring them back into your home. Check any items that you have purchased and brought in from another place, especially if it is a secondhand item. Aside from that, it should be unlikely that you suffer another infestation from Boll Weevils as long as you don't grow cotton plants in or around your home.
For farmers, you can apply Malathion as a preventative measure to keep Boll Weevils away but as noted on the label, cotton crops can be sprayed no more than 3 times a year.
Key Takeaways
- Boll Weevils are a notorious pest on croplands due to their affinity for eating and breeding on cotton plants. They are a very rare occurrence in or around a home.
- Conduct a thorough inspection to locate the item the Boll Weevils have infested and then do a thorough cleanup and vacuuming of your home.
- We recommend controlling Boll Weevils infesting cotton fields with Malathion 57% Insecticide.
- For homeowners, set up a glue trap like the Solutions Pro Glue Boards to trap Weevils that may be straggling around. Preventatively, make sure to give outside items a thorough inspection before bringing them into the home.