APHIS Factsheet

Plant Protection and Quarantine May 2013

Questions and Answers: 

Boll Weevil Eradication

The cotton boll weevil, (Anthonomus grandis Boheman), 

moved into the United States from Mexico in the 1890s 

and has since cost the cotton industry more than 

$23 billion in economic losses. A trial program that 

began in 1978 in Virginia and North Carolina proved 

that the country’s #1 cotton pest could be eradicated 

on a large scale through coordinated regional efforts. 

The Boll Weevil Eradication Program is a cooperative 

effort between the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) and State officials, who work with cotton 

growers to eradicate the boll weevil, in incremental 

stages, from the United States. To date, the boll weevil 

has been eradicated from more than 98 percent 

of the U.S. cotton acreage in 15 Southeastern and 

Southwestern States, as well as significant portions of 

3 others. The pest has also been eradicated in several 

parts of northern Mexico.

Q. What is the Boll Weevil Eradication Program?

A. As mentioned above, boll weevil eradication began 

with a successful trial program in North Carolina and 

southern Virginia in 1978–80. Since then, this program 

has expanded to include cotton acreage in Alabama, 

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, 

Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, 

South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and parts of 

northern Mexico near the U.S. border. All of the 15 

million acres of U.S. cotton are involved in the program, 

and the weevil has been eradicated in 98 percent of 

that production area.

Q. How does USDA work with States and industry 

to address the boll weevil? 

A. Authorization to operate the program locally 

usually begins through State legislation and growerapproved referendums. Most States have a boll weevil 

eradication foundation whose members include elected 

or appointed cotton producers and State agricultural 

officials. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) cooperates by providing technical 

support and limited funding. Initially, in each new State, 

program managers carry out eradication activities 

to eliminate the boll weevil and then conduct a posteradication phase to prevent reinfestation.

Q. Where is the program active?

A. Boll weevil is now eradicated from all cotton-producing 

States, except for a part of Texas. Eradication work is 

ongoing in Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley. We expect 

that the two zones adjacent to the Lower Rio Grande 

Valley will be weevil-free and efforts will be made to 

verify eradication starting in spring 2013. These areas, 

however, will remain susceptible to reinfestation from 

boll weevil migration and/or storm influences from the 

Lower Rio Grande Valley and Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Q. How is the boll weevil eradicated?

A. The program uses three main techniques: 

pheromone traps to detect the weevil’s presence, 

cultural practices (i.e., habitat modification) to decrease 

its food supply, and chemical treatments to reduce 

weevil populations. In most areas, in addition to the 

cultural controls, the program begins with a series of 

treatments in the fall. In subsequent years, traps are 

placed around all cotton fields in the spring as cotton 

is planted. Control operations begin about 5 or 6 weeks 

later and are based on trap captures. Continuous, 

season-long trapping pinpoints areas of infestation and 

triggers necessary treatments until all weevils are gone. 

This process usually takes about 4 to 5 years in each area.

Q. What chemicals are used?

A. Malathion is the primary pesticide used to eradicate 

the boll weevil. It is applied to cotton fields at ultra-lowvolume rates of 10 to 16 ounces (oz) per acre (43,560 ft2) 

from aircraft. That’s like taking a can of soda and evenly 

distributing its contents over a football field. For fields 

that cannot be treated aerially, the program uses highclearance tractors and truck-mounted sprayers. The 

application rate for ground equipment is approximately 

16 oz/acre. 

Q. How many chemical treatments does the 

program apply in each area?

A. The program applies insecticide only in infested 

cotton fields. In most new program areas, treatments 

begin in the late summer or early fall. Infested fields 

generally receive an average of seven applications 

during this initial treatment period. Cooperators 

monitor the application process, especially around 

environmentally sensitive areas (i.e., schools, 

hospitals, churches, and housing developments). 

After the initial fall applications, the program applies 

treatments only where we detect weevils through the 

survey process; these treatments take place before 
the cotton blooms up until harvest. The number of fields 

requiring treatment in later years usually goes down 

dramatically until the area is weevil-free.

Q. How do boll weevil eradication partners determine 

which aerial applicators to hire?

A. The program’s grower organizations, including State 

regulatory officials, solicit bids for the aerial application 

of insecticide. Bids are reviewed by program managers, 

and contracts are awarded by the organizations on a 

competitive basis. All applicators must comply with 

State and Federal regulations and the requirements 

for certification.

Q. Who actually runs the program?

A. The following organizations are responsible for daily 

program operations on a statewide basis:

•	 Arizona Cotton Pest Research and Protection Council

•	 Arkansas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation

•	 Georgia Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation

•	 Louisiana Boll Weevil Eradication Commission

•	 Oklahoma Boll Weevil Eradication Organization

•	 Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation

•	 Southeastern Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation, 

Inc. (handles operations in Alabama, Florida, 

Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South 

Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia)

In New Mexico, two organizations are active participants: 

•	 South Central New Mexico Cotton Boll Weevil 

Control Committee 

•	 Pecos Valley Cotton Boll Weevil Control Committee 

APHIS provides technical support and limited Federal 

funds for boll weevil eradication efforts. The State 

departments of agriculture provide regulatory support, 

and USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture 

helps distribute program information and offers valuable 

guidance on crop production.

Q. How does the program expand into new areas?

A. Expanding the program has usually required cotton 

producers within the area of proposed expansion to 

pass a referendum with at least a two-thirds majority. 

State regulatory agencies are authorized under State 

laws to hold such referenda. Once a referendum 

passes, participation becomes mandatory according to 

State law. Without mandatory participation, eradication 

could not be accomplished.

Q. For growers, what are the benefits of 

participating in the program?

A. Growers benefit in two main ways: (1) by eliminating 

all crop damage and losses caused by the boll weevil, 

and (2) by significantly reducing the cost of production. 

Once the weevil is gone from an area, growers typically 

see an increase in cotton yield of at least 10 percent—

and significantly more in some areas. 

Moreover, as weevil populations become smaller, 

insects that prey on other cotton pests rebound. This 

further reduces the need to use pesticides on cotton 

crops and brings even more cost savings to the grower. 

After eradication, the grower’s cost of production is 

significantly lower, yield is often greater, land value 

increases, and integrated control programs for other 

cotton pests become much more feasible.

Q. How does the general public benefit from boll 

weevil eradication?

A. As the weevil and its damage are eliminated from 

an area, the local cotton industry becomes more 

stable, and cotton acreage tends to increase. Reduced 

production costs make cotton more profitable, allowing 

growers to spend more in the local community 

for equipment, goods, and services. In Georgia, 

for instance, the economic benefits of boll weevil 

eradication have been dramatic, with average gross 

crop revenues increasing from $70 million per year 

prior to eradication to $400 million per year afterwards. 

This increased profitability results in stronger rural, and 

ultimately statewide, economies.

Q. Are there long-term environmental benefits from 

eradicating the boll weevil?

A. Yes. In fact, the long-term environmental benefits 

that come from eradicating the boll weevil are 

substantial. Once an area is weevil-free, there 

is significantly less need for insecticides—and in 

many cases, almost no need at all. Cotton growers 

experience a 40- to 100-percent reduction in their overall 

use of insecticides after weevil eradication. In addition, 

a weevil-free environment allows growers to make full 

use of beneficial insects in developing their long-term 

integrated pest-management strategies.

Q. How long will it take to complete the program?

A. Areawide boll weevil eradication efforts began in 

1983. Now, only one zone in Texas remains heavily 

involved in eradication efforts. The two adjacent 

zones entered the confirmation phase (i.e., surveys 
are conducted to make sure all weevil populations are 

eliminated) in spring 2013. The Lower Rio Grande 

Valley will act as a buffer zone between Mexico and 

the weevil-free cotton-producing States while Mexican 

authorities are working to eliminate the weevil from 

Tamaulipas, Mexico. Monitoring and treatment activities 

will be ongoing in this buffer zone to reduce weevil 

populations in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and prevent 

weevils from moving back into now weevil-free areas in 

Texas and the Cotton Belt. APHIS expects nationwide 

boll weevil eradication in 2014, with the exception of the 

buffer zone. 

Q. Who pays for the program? 

A. Boll weevil eradication is a cooperative effort. 

Growers typically pay at least 70 percent of the 

program’s cost, with APHIS paying for the remaining 

30 percent. In some areas, State contributions have 

offset the growers’ share by more than 50 percent. 

Growers contribute their share as an assessment, 

based either on the number of acres grown or cotton 

bales produced. In addition to APHIS’ contributions 

to the program, USDA’s Farm Service Agency has 

provided critical loans to grower organizations involved 

in eradication. These loans allow growers to spread the 

program cost over several years, making their annual 

expenses more affordable.

Q. How do we keep the weevil from returning? 

A. In the United States, seed cotton, trash from cotton 

gins, and used cotton-harvesting equipment are 

inspected, treated if necessary, and certified “pest-free” 

before they can be moved into or through weevil-free 

areas. These measures help keep boll weevils from 

being transported back into areas where they have 

been eliminated. In addition, planting noncommercial 

cotton (ornamental or experimental) is restricted in the 

active eradication phase. During the post-eradication 

phase, trapping continues around cotton fields to detect 

any reinfestation. This way, treatment can be directly 

applied to the localized area if survey staff find weevils. 

Internationally, APHIS continues cooperating with our 

counterparts in Mexico to carry out the eradication 

program in adjacent cotton-growing areas of northern 

Mexico. This work offers more long-term protection 

against weevil reinfestation in the United States.

Q. What are the post-eradication costs?

A. In the 10 States where eradication is completed, 

typical post-eradication costs range from $5 to $10 per 

acre initially and then level out to about $3 per acre 

per year. Eventually, as we achieve nationwide 

eradication, these costs will decline significantly. This is 

because the risk of reintroduction will decrease, which 

will, in turn, reduce the need for trapping and other 

preventive work.

Q. For how long will Federal funds support the 

program? 

A. Active eradication will continue in Texas through 

2013, with nationwide eradication anticipated in 2014 

(except for the Lower Rio Grande Valley buffer zone). 

While we expect to reduce eradication activity in the 

buffer zone, the program will need to continue heavy 

monitoring and preventive treatments to protect against 

reintroduction of boll weevils into the Cotton Belt States. 

Q. How will the eradication program affect other 

cotton insects?

A. The boll weevil is considered the key pest in cotton 

production because the insecticides traditionally used 

early in the season to control weevils also eliminate 

many beneficial insects. As the eradication effort 

removes the need for these early season insecticide 

applications, the good insects—the ones that control 

cotton pests, such as bollworms, budworms, plant 

bugs, and aphids—can increase in number and fulfill 

their role in the ecosystem. Growers in weevil-free 

areas can now delay or even eliminate early season 

applications, reduce pesticide rates, use alternative 

pesticides or genetically engineered cotton varieties, or 

lengthen the intervals between applications and lower 

their operating costs while controlling any remaining 

cotton pests. 

Q. Who can answer additional questions about the 

program?

A. For more information about the program, contact 

the following offices: 

•	 Arizona Cotton Research and Protection 

Council, (602) 438-0059

•	 Arkansas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation, 

(501) 224-1533

•	 Georgia Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation, 

(800) 269-9926

•	 Louisiana Boll Weevil Eradication Commission, 

(225) 952-8105

•	 Oklahoma Boll Weevil Eradication Organization, 

(580) 726-4280 

•	 Pecos Valley Cotton Boll Weevil Control 

Committee (New Mexico), (325) 672-2800 
•	 South Central New Mexico Cotton Boll Weevil 

Control Committee, (575) 541-0584

•	 Southeastern Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation, Inc. 

(AL, FL, MO, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA), (334) 283-4106

•	 Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation (Texas 

and eastern New Mexico), (800) 687-1212 

In addition, you can reach APHIS’ National Cotton Pests 

Manager at (919) 855-7397. 

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

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