In terms of pests, weevils ( Curculionidae ) are one of the most feared that can easily be found in gardens and homes. Some of the most common are wood weevils, which feed mainly on wood.
If you want to learn more about these small insects to be able to prevent their unwanted visit or combat their presence if you already suffer from it, keep reading this AgroCorrn article about how to eliminate weevils from the house and plants .
- What are weevils or weevils
- How to get rid of weevils from plants
- How to make natural insecticide for weevils at home
Index
What are weevils or weevils
Weevils , also known as weevils or curculionids , are a whole family of coleopteran insects with more than 86,000 species.
They are from the family of beetles, and do not usually measure more than 5 mm in length in their adult state. They have a brown body and their diet is herbivorous, with which they devour plants and wood of all kinds depending on each specific species.
Although they do not attack human beings, they are materially harmful due to the speed at which they can feed on the wood of furniture and even structures, becoming dangerous in homes with a lot of wood, or houses made with wood in its entirety , if their presence goes unnoticed for a long time.
Other types, however, attack only different parts of plants, but the range of threat extends to much of the crops, posing a particularly serious problem for farmers.
Some of the species of weevils there are:
- Rice weevil ( Sitophilus oryzae )
- Corn weevil ( Sitophilus zeamais )
- Wheat weevil ( Sitophilus granarius )
How to get rid of weevils from plants
If you find these insects anywhere in your home, the first thing you should do is remove them and thoroughly clean the entire area. If they were in an area with food or food that was not properly closed, you should get rid of them because they could have contaminated the food and be a source of infections and diseases.
Use insecticide in any area where you have seen them or where you think they may be, whether it is a specialized chemical insecticide or a homemade insecticide for weevils that you have made yourself, as we will teach you how to do later.
If you think you have located the food they came from, a very good solution is to freeze the food for at least four full days. In this way, both the larvae and the adult specimens will die from the cold, and you do not risk them spreading again from the garbage or in any other way.
On the other hand, if they are not indoors but there are weevils on the plants in your garden, eliminating them can be a bit more complicated. Weevils tend to feed at night and hide during the day to avoid predators, so to find them you will have to use a flashlight at night , at which point you can see them nibbling the edges of the leaves. If the larvae have not yet appeared, removing them by hand like this will suffice. If this is not the case, you will have to resort to insecticides.
Thus, to eliminate weevils from plants you can use two methods:
- Remove them by hand with tweezers or a similar tool: only recommended if no larvae are seen.
- Eliminate them with insecticide: apply them when the sun does not shine on the plants. Use either a specific commercial or generic one for pests or a homemade one.
How to make natural insecticide for weevils at home
There are several natural substances that you can use in your fight against weevil to avoid having to resort to artificial chemicals.
Bay leaves and neem to eliminate weevils
Bay leaves and neem or neem leaves are an easily acquired natural substance that serve to ward off this pest. Extract some fresh leaves from the plant or buy these fresh leaves, as dry and without wetting them do not have the same effect, and place them in the spaces or plants where you have seen them. Keep in mind that you will need to replace the leaves when they have dried or you can no longer easily distinguish their smell.
Laurel and neem liquid insecticide for weevils
If the area to be covered is large, it is better to make the insecticide with a liquid base. To do this, follow these steps:
- Prepare 300 grams of fresh bay or neem leaves, or 200 grams if they are dry, for every 10 liters of water that you are going to add.
- Cut the leaves in half and put them in a container with enough space.
- Boil a fifth of the water and add it to the container with the leaves.
- Cover it, and wait for it to cool, then add the remaining water, this time leaving it only partially covered in a dark and cool place.
- After about 48 hours, strain the mixture and store it refrigerated to keep it longer. If you keep it in the refrigerator, it will last up to a month before going bad.
- To use it, you just have to spray it on your garden or affected areas, although dilute it in one part of water for each part of laurel or neem macerate. Apply it every three days just before dark, until you make sure you have finished with the threat.
In this other AgroCorrn article you can learn more about How to make natural insecticides for plants . And if you are interested in taking care of your plants in an ecological way, we recommend this other post on How to combat pests in organic farming .
If you want to read more articles similar to How to eliminate weevils , we recommend that you enter our category of Growing and caring for plants .
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