Control.—Frequently, certain trees in the orchard are more heavily infested than others, since the adults usually do not go far from the tree upon which they developed. The time at which insecticide applications should be made to control this insect can be determined by jarring the trees. Begin checking the first week in August. A large sheet should be placed under a tree and the limbs jarred with a padded pole. The weevils drop to the ground and remain motionless for a short period, at which time they may be counted. When three or more weevils are jarred from each tree, an application of spray containing 6 pounds of 50 percent DDT wettable powder per 100 gallons of water should be made[8].
Figure 12. Eggs of the first generation pecan nut casebearer deposited on the tips of the young nuts.
STINK AND PLANT BUGS
The adults of several species of stink bugs and plant bugs suck the sap from young pecan nuts causing an injury known as black pit, in which the interior of the nuts turns black. The injured nuts fall from the trees before the shells harden.
Feeding by the insects after shell hardening, [Figure 14], produces brown or black spots on the kernels. Areas affected taste bitter, but the remainder of the kernel is unaffected.
Stink bugs are familiar to everyone. Plant bugs resemble them and are usually shades of brown, smaller and narrower in body outline.
Plant bugs and stink bugs overwinter in the adult stage in debris on the ground. In the spring, the adults are attracted to growing vegetation such as cover crops or weeds, where they deposit their eggs. The immature bugs develop on low-growing vegetation. When they reach maturity, their wings are fully developed and they fly to pecan trees. A few eggs may be deposited on pecan trees, but the young bugs apparently are unable to develop on them. Only the adults are present in sufficient number to inflict economic injury. There may be as many as four generations each year.
Control.—Although certain insecticides will control these pests, the number and frequency of spray applications necessary for control would not be economical.
Care should be taken to keep weeds down in the orchard during the growing season. Winter cover crops should be plowed down early in the spring so they will not be attractive to the adults coming out of hibernation. If this operation is delayed, the bugs will leave the cover crop when it is removed and migrate to the trees in large numbers.