What's eating my pecan 'caddo'?

Pecan 'Caddo' is a compact, early-midseason cultivar with moderate pest resistance. Pecan nut casebearer is the primary nut pest hitting it during kernel fill. Aphid pressure peaks mid-summer and can reduce yield quality on lighter soils. Its moderate size makes it less attractive to pecan weevil than large-nut types, though weevil monitoring is still necessary.

Larvae bore entry holes surrounded by frass into developing nuts; infested nuts abort or produce shriveled, inedible kernels. Deploy pheromone traps from pollination; spray spinosad or carbaryl at peak egg-hatch (first and second generations); follow trap counts, not calendar dates.

Injects a toxin causing distinct angular yellow lesions on leaflets; heavy infestations cause early defoliation, reducing kernel fill and next year's bud set. Tolerate low populations; apply insecticidal soap or flonicamid when leaflet damage becomes widespread; protect beneficial insects to maintain natural control.

Occasional infestations puncture nuts at water-stage and shell-hardening; less frequent on smaller-fruited cultivars but losses are 100% per infested nut. Monitor with emergence cages in late July–August; apply carbaryl at water-stage if adults are found; one well-timed spray is usually sufficient on moderate-pressure sites.