cactus weevil on Pachycereus Marginatus
Quick answer
If your Pachycereus Marginatus has cactus weevil, the most likely cause is: The cactus weevil (Cactophagus spinaloae) is a black weevil about an inch long with a long, hooked nose resembling an elephant's trunk, and it most commonly feeds on Mexican fencepost cactus (Pachycereus marginatus); on this columnar host the adult weevils and their larvae chew into the stems, with damage often appearing as entry/exit holes or collapse of the basal stem where larvae have tunneled through the cactus tissue.
Start here:
- 1. Hand-pick the black adult weevils and any visible larvae off the Pachycereus marginatus stems using tweezers, and destroy them before they can lay eggs in the cactus tissue.
- 2. Apply a systemic insecticide absorbed into the cactus tissue so that feeding weevils and larvae ingest the poison while boring into the Mexican fencepost stems, following the label rate and treating while the plant is actively growing.
Why Pachycereus Marginatus gets cactus weevil
Pachycereus Marginatus
The cactus weevil (Cactophagus spinaloae) is a black weevil about an inch long with a long, hooked nose resembling an elephant's trunk, and it most commonly feeds on Mexican fencepost cactus (Pachycereus marginatus); on this columnar host the adult weevils and their larvae chew into the stems, with damage often appearing as entry/exit holes or collapse of the basal stem where larvae have tunneled through the cactus tissue.
How to reverse cactus weevil on Pachycereus Marginatus
- 1
Hand-pick the black adult weevils and any visible larvae off the Pachycereus marginatus stems using tweezers, and destroy them before they can lay eggs in the cactus tissue.
- 2
Apply a systemic insecticide absorbed into the cactus tissue so that feeding weevils and larvae ingest the poison while boring into the Mexican fencepost stems, following the label rate and treating while the plant is actively growing.
Keep cactus weevil off this Pachycereus Marginatus
Inspect new Pachycereus marginatus specimens for weevil entry holes before adding them to a collection, isolate suspect plants, and keep the columnars vigorous in full sun with sharp-draining soil so stressed, drought-weakened fencepost cacti are not preferentially colonized by the weevil.