- Targeted control measures, levelled at both males and females as they prepare to mate, would reduce rhynchites numbers at the beginning of the season.
- In the past a spray of thiacloprid (Calypso) at late blossom or early fruitlet gave good control of adults and prevented further damage, but Calypso is no longer authorised for use on apple.
- Fatty acids (Flipper) has an EAMU approval on apples and is recommended to control apple blossom weevil so it is likely that it would offer incidental control of rhynchites weevil when applied for blossom weevil.
- It is probable that other insecticides are also effective but the efficacy of different products has not been explored.
- As weevils are still found in the trees until fruit have reached about 20mm, treatments could also target females looking for sites to lay eggs. Most of the feeding damage would have already been caused by this stage for the current year, but such treatments could reduce the numbers of weevil offspring emerging the following year.
- Use of synthetic pyrethroid insecticides should be avoided as they are harmful to the orchard predatory mite Typhlodromus pyri and other natural enemies.
Insecticide resistance
Resistance of apple fruit rhynchites weevil to insecticides is not known and is unlikely to occur.