First nut entry by pecan nut casebearer in 2014

    We spotted the very first evidence of pecan nut casebearer larvae feeding on pecan nuts today. Casebearer larvae typically bore into the base of a nut leaving a pile of frass and some fine webbing that attaches the nut to the pedicel (photo at right). A single larvae usually requires 3 nuts to complete its life cycle.
   It looks like we will probably need to make an insecticide treatment to control this pest sometime towards the end of the week. Timing will depend on the weather and how fast the damage level increases. 
   You can follow the development of this year's casebearer population at the Pecan Experiment Field by clicking of the "Pecan Nut Casbearer" tab above.