Field Identification
A long-snouted weevil that punches feeding holes in rhubarb stalks and dock leaves, leaving sap spots and inviting rot—think of it as a cocktail pick with commitment issues. Adults migrate from wild hosts in spring.
Dark weevils about 8–10 mm with a slender rostrum; feeding scars appear as rows of punctures on petioles. Larval development is mainly on curly dock and other weeds, not inside rhubarb hearts.
How to Deal With It
Organic Control Methods
Pyrethrin or neem on stalks and surrounding dock patches during adult activity—focus evenings when weevils climb; repeat after rain.
Birds, predatory beetles, and spiders pick off adults; parasitic wasps attack some Lixus larvae in stems of wild hosts.
Mow or remove nearby curly dock and sorrel before adults move to rhubarb; harvest stalks promptly; avoid leaving split stalks that hold moisture.
Shake adults into soapy water on cool mornings; row cover early spring clumps before migration peaks.
Scout margins between rhubarb and wasteland; rotate harvest from outer rows where immigration hits first.
Let Nature Handle It
Natural Enemies
- Birds
- Ground Beetles (Carabidae)
- Parasitic Wasps
Threat Map