After the egg-laying period in late May and June, adults continue to feed through the season. Habits Most curculios have a tendency to drop from the bush and play dead when disturbed. Diet Usually found in or near flower buds, rose curculios are chewing insects, with biting mouthparts on the end of their long snouts. They drill holes in buds, which then fail to open, or open with petals riddled with holes. Larvae feed on the reproductive parts of the flower, seeds, and to some extent petals.
Serious infestation can prevent almost all bloom.
Control Succeeding populations can be controlled by removing spent blooms and hips, and removing any damaged blooms. Rating Bad guy . Generally, rose curculios can be kept under control with hand-picking and garden cleanup, but severe infestations may require a firmer hand, particularly in areas with lots of untended wild roses, where populations can get out of control and migrate to cultivated rose beds. Copyright 1999, Don Julien, All Rights Reserved.