White Pine Weevil

By Krista Harris
ISA Certified Arborist® OH-6699A
May 7, 2026

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Take me to your leader! 

(...said the weevil to the tree)

Very early each spring, when Ohioans are still suiting up in coats and boots, and forsythia is just beginning to reveal itself throughout landscapes, tiny weevils begin their journey.

White pine weevils overwinter as adults in the duff at the base of their favorite evergreen trees. They commonly awaken in mid-March in central Ohio and then commence their climb to the tree's terminal leader at the tippy top. Pine, spruce, and Douglas fir are considered suitable species for these native insects to feed on and start their families. However, Norway spruce and its namesake white pine are particularly relished.

Female white pine weevils use their comically long snout [fig. 1] to chew holes just below the terminal bud. They then drink the tree's sugary phloem and lay 1-4 eggs in the resulting feeding holes. Several females may infest a single terminal leader, resulting in hundreds of weevil larvae chowing down on the tree's precious vascular system.

[Fig .1] Adult Female White Pine Weevil

[Fig. 2] White Pine Weevil Larvae in Pupation Chamber

Within weeks, the previous year's leader is killed by the hungry larvae [fig. 2], and subsequently the current year's leader is starved of nutrients and water, wilts, and assumes the characteristic "shepherd's crook" [fig. 3] appearance. The larvae then pupate in cocoons they build with the host's own wood fibers, called chip cocoons [fig. 4]. Following pupation, the new adults, aka next year's problem, then chew their way out of the leader to breed and feed until it's time to descend to the ground, go dormant, and start the cycle all over again.

[Fig. 3] Shepherd's Crook

[Fig. 4] Chip Cocoons

Larval Tunnels in Phloem

Here at Russell Tree Experts, we strive to help your trees break that cycle. A systemic drench scheduled for this fall will ensure your tree's sap is toxic to the coming generation of weevils.

If that timing is missed, we can also aim to exterminate the adults next spring with two chemical sprays to the terminal leader.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of (we)evil is for good men to do nothing."
-Edmund Burke

Thanks for trusting us with your trees, and enjoy what's left of summer!