What bug is eating my sunflower seeds?
Weevils
Weevils are the most common insect pest in sunflowers. The red and gray seed weevils, identifiable by their elongated “snouts,” cause little damage to young sunflowers when feeding on their developing bracts.
What are bugs that look like sunflower seeds?
Beetles of the genus Tricorynus, including T. palliates, T. congruous and T. texanus, grow shiny black and brown exoskeletons shaped like sunflower seeds.
What are the little black bugs on my sunflower?
Pollen beetles are about 2-3mm long and are black or greenish bronze with clubbed antennae. They crawl around in flowers as they feed on the pollen.
Do sunflower seeds have bugs in them?
The red sunflower seed weevil (Smicronyx fulvus) is the most common of the two species that can occur in the Prairies. The adults (Figure 1) are 2.5 to 3 mm (1/10 to 1/8 in.) long and are covered with reddish-orange, oval scales. The larvae occur in the upper third portion of developing sunflower seeds.
What does a sunflower beetle look like?
Sunflower Beetles
They are round beetles with a red-brown head and cream-colored wings covered in reddish-brown longitudinal stripes. The larvae are almost cute, with fat pale green to yellow bowling-pin-shaped bodies. Adult feeding creates shotholes in the leaves, and larvae eat transparent windows into the leaves.
How do I get rid of sunflower weevils?
Effective management of sunflower stem weevil can be achieved by delayed planting or by insecticide applications to prevent egg laying. insecticides may be applied either at planting or as a foliar treatment.
How do you get rid of black bugs on sunflowers?
Mix one tablespoon of dishwashing soap with one gallon of water. After test spraying a couple of leaves, spray on the whole plant for aphids, mites, scales, mealybugs and thrips.
What kind of bugs live in sunflowers?
And finally, during flowering and seed development, watch for seed and head clipping weevils, maggots, sunflower midges, sunflower moths, and lygus bugs. Of course, aphids can be a problem at any time. Keep reading to learn more about each of these pests and how to control them.
How do you get rid of sunflower beetles naturally?
Homemade Pest Control for Sunflowers
- Ammonia. A spray made with one part ammonia and seven parts water also helps to get rid sunflowers of bugs.
- Vegetable Oil Spray. Mix together one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap with one cup of vegetable oil.
- Baking Soda Spray.
What do weevils do to sunflowers?
The adult headclipping weevils will girdle (feed around the stem) the peduncle and leaf petioles (Figure 1). This feeding behavior results in the leaves or sunflower heads to either be completely clipped from the plant or be left hanging by the remaining plant tissue.
How do I keep bugs off my sunflower seeds?
Vegetable Oil Spray
A variety of oils such as safflower, peanut, sunflower or soybean can be used. Take about 2 grams of this mixture and mix with one cup water and use to spray the sunflower plants to control bugs such as aphids, mealybugs, scales and mites.
What do sunflower beetles look like?
Should I throw out bird seed with weevils?
Promptly throw away any bird seed contaminated with the weevils. Maize weevils will infest cornmeal and beans in the home pantry.
What are the little black bugs in my bird seed?
The Rice Weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) and Grain Weevil (Sitophilus granarius) are also common species of insects found in bird seed. They are small black beetles (2-3 mm in length) and can be very tough to get rid of.
Is it OK to feed birds seed with bugs in it?
Insects: Insects such as moths, worms, spiders and earwigs can infest birdseed. Look for live or dead insects, cocoons, webs and other indications of insect activity. One or two bugs will not be a problem, but several bugs or a larger swarm means the seed is spoiled and should be discarded.
Why does my birdseed have bugs?
Infestation often first occurs in the grain storage facilities before the seed is ever processed into bird food. The processing plants themselves can often be a source of infestation. Granary and rice weevils are harmless to humans. They do not bite or sting but any food that is infested should be promptly thrown out.
Why does my bird seed have bugs in it?
Bird seed is more likely to attract insects in the summer heat, so this is when you must keep it cool and use it up quickly. I often put small bird seed bags and bird food cylinders in the freezer during the summer.