The spring brood larvae become active in the spring and feed on buds, then bore into young tender shoots or in bark crevices and pupate. The moths emerge and lay eggs on the blossom end of the nuts, often on the stigma or under the lobes of the bracts. Peak egg laying often occurs during a 2-week period in late April to early May in the southern and coastal areas, or late May to early June in north Texas. Since temperature influences the duration of pupation, the timing of emergence varies in different years. Usually only one or two eggs are laid on each nut cluster.
Eggs are greenish white to white when first laid, changing to pink or red prior to hatching.
Eggs hatch in 4 to 5 days. The larvae feed first on buds below the cluster, then attack the nuts. They enter the nuts by cutting a circular hole in the base. A single larva may destroy the entire cluster, before pupating in one of the last nuts fed upon. The first generation larvae do the most damage.