The eradication of the cotton boll weevil and the enforcement of the quarantine, which ensures that the boll weevil does not re-infest Virginia, provide an alternate crop that enhances the economic conditions for growers in eastern and southern Virginia. Since the eradication of the boll weevil in Virginia, the acreage planted in cotton has increased from approximately 300 acres in 1978 to over 100,000 acres in 1995. The Cotton Boll Weevil Eradication Program consists of monitoring cotton fields and treating if boll weevils are found.
Trapping is conducted by private contractors awarded through the state bidding process.
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