:^2 



are most likely to survive the winter. They have not 

 exhausted their vitality by long flights or by any con- 

 siderable reproductive activity, as have older weevils. 

 It becomes doubly important therefore that the devel- 

 opment of weevils late in the fall should be prevented 

 as much as is possible. 



Hibernate in Adult Stage. — As with most insects, the 

 winter season is passed quietly and without feeding 

 by the full-grown or adult weevils. These seek shelter 

 from the cold in or under any kind of rubbish near 

 where they are feeding when the first frosts occur. 

 After this time they can live for months without any 

 food. This dormant, winter condition of the insect is 

 spoken of as hibernation. 



Hibernation Usually Begins At First Killing Frost. 

 — As cool weather approaches in the fall, weevils be- 

 come less active and some may seek winter shelter 

 even before frost occurs. Most of them, however, con- 

 tinue to feed until green cotton is largely destroyed. 

 The occurrence of the first killing frost is a signal for 

 the great majority of weevils to seek shelter for the 

 winter. This we call entering hibernation. If the 

 freeze is severe enough to completely destroy squares 

 and bolls, the immature stages may be killed at once 

 or some maj^ complete their development and emerge 

 but practically all of these will die before spring as 

 they have never fed. 



Hibernation Shelter. — Weevils pass the winter as 

 adults hiding in or under any kind of trash which may 

 be found in or around the cotton field. The old hulls on 

 standing cotton stalks are among the most common 

 places of shelter. WeeviLs also crawl under leaves and 

 into dense bunches of grass on the ground- Very weedy 

 or bushy places are favorable for weevil hibernation. 

 Ditch banks, terraces, fence rows, timber fringes, 

 stumps in the field, etc.. are therefore important places 

 to be cleaned up and cared for where the weevil 

 occurs as this reduces the cliances of weevils living 

 through the winter. 



Spanish Moss Especially Favorable. — Wherever this 

 long gray moss occurs abundantly near cotton fields 

 it is certain to furnish extremely favorable winter 

 shelter for many weevils. Not only is the percentage 

 of survival large in this moss but the weevils emerge 

 from it unusually late because it keeps them cool in 

 spite of high air temperature outside. Tliis moss grows 



