It is often quite obvious that control is needed, based on the previous year's experience, winter weather, black flag damage, etc. This is especially true in south and central Alabama and is often the case in north Alabama. More and more producers are making pinhead square applications by banding insecticides in conjunction with cultivations. This practice saves some money and reduces pesticide use, but it is not without drawbacks. Banding apparatusses vary widely, and many are poorly engineered or calibrated.
Many bands are almost as narrow as the normal lateral movement involved in cultivation.
Still, the greatest difficulty involved with banding weevil applications is timing. Since optimum results and minimal damage require treatments precisely timed at the matchhead or pinhead square stage, large acreages often require treatment over a period of a few days. For many farm operations, this treatment schedule may not be possible in conjunction with cultivation. Improperly timed applications are ineffective and may result in unacceptable damage from secondary pests. These controls are normally applied in years when moderate to high weevil populations are expected.