What is a boll weevil?
The boll weevil ( Anthonomus grandis) is not much to look at – just a grayish, little beetle with an impressively long snout. But this particular beetle, and its hunger for cotton, was powerful enough to forge an unprecedented partnership between farmers, legislators and scientists.
What time of year do boll weevils enter cotton fields?
They emerge and enter cotton fields from early spring through midsummer, with peak emergence in late spring, and feed on immature cotton bolls. The boll weevil lays its eggs inside buds and ripening bolls (fruits) of the cotton plants.
How do you get rid of boll weevils in cotton?
We recommend controlling Boll Weevils infesting cotton fields with Malathion 57% Insecticide. For homeowners, set up a glue trap like the Catchmaster 288 Insect Monitoring Trap to trap Weevils that may be straggling around.
What kind of bug is a boll beetle?
Boll Weevils are a beetle species that is part of the weevil family of pests. They are very small, measuring in at about 6 mm long (a 1/4th of an inch) and are colored either black, reddish-brown or gray. They have wings and a unique curved snout.
How did the boll weevil affect the cotton industry?
Cotton production moved in advance of the weevil, creating a boom in cotton plantings in areas that were weevil-free. But as the cotton spread, so did the boll weevil – costing cotton growers billions in revenue.
How did the boll weevil contribute to the Great Depression?
The boll weevil contributed to the economic woes of Southern farmers during the 1920s, a situation exacerbated by the Great Depression in the 1930s. The boll weevil appeared in Venezuela in 1949 and in Colombia in 1950. The Amazon Rainforest was thought to present a barrier to its further spread,…
How did the boll weevil impact the education system?
A 2018 National Bureau of Economic Research paper found that the boll weevil spread between 1892 to 1922 had a beneficial impact on educational outcomes, as children were less likely to work on cultivating cotton.