in grubs which destroy the kernels, or they contain
holes about one-eighth inch in diameter which mature grubs have bored
and through which they escaped after destroying the kernels. The first
type of damage often passes unnoticed and is due to the feeding of early
emerging weevils, which puncture the immature nuts with their long
lancelike beaks to feed on the juices within. Since all nuts punctured
in this way before the shell-hardening period drop to the ground, the
entire crop may be lost if weevils are abundant and the crop is light.
Such damage may be heavy even when a large crop is attacked. The second
type of damage is generally noticeable at harvest-time in October and
November, and in seasons when large numbers of weevils have been present
practically the entire crop may be wormy at harvest.

Since the weevils do not feed very much on the outer surface of
developing pecan nuts, stomach poisons applied to trees have been of
little practical value in control. In 1944, however, laboratory tests
showed that DDT could kill the adults, and that it was worthy of field
trial.

Field tests were made at Fort Valley, Georgia, with DDT and the
conclusions drawn from these tests show that the effectiveness of two
applications of DDT at the rate of 6 pounds of a 50-percent wettable
powder to 100 gallons of water in reducing harvest infestations to 1
percent gives rise to the hope that this treatment, applied for several
seasons, will eliminate a pecan weevil infestation in an orchard, or
will reduce it to such an extent that spraying every year will not be
necessary.

The time of the first application of DDT cannot be based on the time of
the first drop of nuts, because other pecan insects also cause the nuts
to drop during July and August. However, pecan growers who wish to make
the effort can time the first application accurately by spreading a
sheet on the ground beneath an infested tree and lightly jarring the
branches to dislodge the weevils. When the weevils are disturbed they
fall and "play possum" and can be easily collected. When a minimum of
six weevils can be taken by jarring the branches on any one tree, it is
time to make the first application.

While the above will probably give an indication as to what can be done,
using DDT to control the Hickory weevil, for those who have large
plantings and can afford the expensive spraying equipment necessary, it
will be necessary to look farther for control methods f