What's eating my pecan 'oconee'?

Pecan 'Oconee' shares the pest complex of all southern pecans: pecan weevil, pecan nut casebearer, and aphids are the main culprits. Crows and squirrels raid the heavy crops this variety produces. Pecan scab fungus is an additional pressure but weevil is the top insect threat.

Small circular puncture holes in husks; larvae devour kernels inside the shell; infested nuts drop early or contain no edible kernel Apply carbaryl or permethrin to the trunk and scaffold limbs when adult weevils emerge in late summer (monitor with circle traps); collect and destroy fallen nuts promptly

First generation kills the nutlet entirely; later generations bore into developing kernels; entry hole visible at the stem end Time insecticide sprays (spinosad or Bt) to coincide with egg hatch using pheromone trap monitoring; two to three sprays per generation

Angular yellow spots on leaflets that turn brown; severe defoliation weakens the tree and reduces next year's crop Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides that kill beneficial predators; spot-treat with insecticidal soap; imidacloprid soil drench in severe outbreaks

Nuts harvested before maturity; chewed husks left on the ground; consistent crop losses in suburban and woodland-edge settings Install metal baffles on tree trunks; harvest as early as practical; consider wire caging for young trees