Identification
Adult carrot weevils are small (0.2-0.6 centimeters long), mottled-brown beetles with a distinctive snout that is typical of weevils (Figure 1). These weevils rarely fly; thus, they colonize fields primarily by walking from overwintering sites and will feign death when disturbed.
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ent-83
Commonly Affected Crops
- Carrots
- Parsnips
Damage
- Carrot weevil females overwinter in the soil and plant debris and lay their eggs in cavities in the crown of the carrots. These eggs develop and hatch into larvae and begin to feed on the carrot root.
- Damage could be confused with wireworm damage but carrot weevil damage is found specifically in the crown of the carrot (the area around the stem)
Management Techniques
- David has been told hilling can prevent carrot weevil damage – they need direct access to root
- Current IPM recommendations are based off of Boivin trap counts. Boivin traps consist of a carrot piece surrounded by slats of wood, sandwiched between two pieces of plywood (see below). The carrot attracts adult carrot weevils while the slats of wood provide an optimal home for the weevils until collection.