Nature & Environment

Apple Flea Weevil Reemerges As a Pest in Organic Orchards

Brooke Miller
First Posted: Sep 30, 2012 08:34 AM EDT

Generally distributed in the northeastern states, the apple flea weevil is most commonly noticed in Ohio to Illinois and down to Kentucky.

This sporadic insect pest in the early 1900s gas reemerged as a severe pest in organic apple orchards in Michigan. The outbreak population levels have been observed since 2008 and they noticed the damage has resulted in upto 90 percent losses for apple growers.

These findings if the study named "The Reemergence of an Old Pest, Orchestes pallicornis" were carried in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management. According to the authors, the weevil can be managed by broad-spectrum insecticides used in conventional agriculture, but there are currently no proven management options for use in organic production.

The small 2-3 millimeter small, gray-brown to black , oval beetles with a small beak typical of weevils and enlarged hind legs used for jumping when disturbed. This increasingly becomes an important pest in apple production if broad-spectrum materials are replaced by reduced-risk compounds.

The adult apple flea will feed on buds and leaves and the larvae are leaf drillers. The apple flea weevil adult does its most serious damage by feeding on and destroying fruit buds before they have a chance to emerge in the spring. 

Through this article the authors focus on the damage the apple flea weevil cause on plants. They also discuss methods for growers to monitor and manage them.

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