What's eating my kola nut?

Kola nut trees (Cola nitida) in West African cultivation are attacked by the kola weevil, mealybugs, and pod-boring caterpillars. Squirrels and African giant rats steal pods. The kola weevil (Balanogastris kolae) is considered the single most destructive pest of stored and field kola nuts.

Adults bore into kola nuts to lay eggs; larvae devour the cotyledons; infested nuts become hollow and worthless Treat harvested nuts with wood ash or approved grain protectants in storage; collect and destroy infested nuts promptly; neem cake applied around the root zone deters soil-pupating adults

White waxy masses in leaf axils and on young pods; honeydew promotes sooty mould; stunted new growth Neem oil spray; introduce predatory Cryptolaemus beetles; remove heavily infested shoots; avoid excessive nitrogen fertiliser

Larvae bore into developing pods; frass visible at entry holes; pod rots and drops early Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray at egg hatch; hand-remove egg masses from pods; encourage parasitic wasp populations