2012 Educational Programs on Insects

Want more information on insects?  Then join me every three months this year to learn about a variety of insect topics.  Here's what coming in 2012:

March 14, 2012 at 9AM- Bed bugs

June 13, 2012 at 9AM- Beneficials

September 12, 2012 at 9AM- Stinging & biting arthropods

December 12, 2012 at 9AM- Stored product pests

These programs are free of charge and will be held at the Travis County Extension Office at 1600-B Smith Road, Austin, TX 78721.  For additional information, please call me at 512-854-9600.

Pecan Weevils (Central Texas)

Pecan harvest is under way and I was recently contacted by a colleague who handles all things pecan. Pecan weevil has not been recorded before from Travis County (and several other counties...see map below), so we're asking you to be our eyes in the field. If you suspect pecan weevil, please contact me.
Look for BB size exit holes in pecans.

Pecan weevil adults are brownish beetles about 3/8 of an inch long with long snouts. Larvae (grubs) are creamy-white with a brownish head capsule.

Adult weevils become active in late August- early September. Both adult male and female weevils can damage nuts by feeding on or laying eggs (females) on pecans.

After mating, females chew a hole in a pecan shell and deposit their eggs inside. Larvae feed and develop inside the pecan shell. Full grown larvae then chew out of the shell and drop to the ground to create a cell in the soil. Full grown larvae and adults spend the winter in the soil about 4-12 inches deep.

For more information on pecan weevil biology, please see the Texas AgriLife Extension Service publication.

Again, if you live in a county on the map above that is not red (without pecan weevils being confirmed) and you suspect that you may have them, please contact me. I would need to come out and collect suspected damaged pecans and record the GPS coordinates. Images are from Bill Ree- thanks Bill!

Travis County Extension Office Temporarily Closed

On Tuesday of last week- June 29, 2010- the Travis County Extension office was damaged and flooded when a part of the roof collapsed during heavy rains. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but the office was flooded. Because of the damage, the office is closed until further notice.

People are working to get systems back into place for phone calls, emails and other sources of communication. Until then, please try to be patient. If you have a pressing bug question that needs to be answered you can leave a comment on this blog or you can contact a Texas AgriLife Extension Office in a different county.

If you are a Travis County Master Gardener and need more information on how the office closure affects you or for more information, please check the Central Texas Horticulture blog; Daphne was way better at explaining things more in depth.