The pales and pachylobius weevil cause losses in new pine plantations by feeding on the bark of seedlings. Enough of this feeding girdles the seedling and kills it. Adult pales weevils are attracted to the scent of fresh pine stumps. They lay eggs in the stumps from which larvae hatch. The larvae feed on the inner bark of the stump and mature into more adult weevils.
Weevils colonize stumps regardless of when the tree was cut.
However, if the trees are not cut before July, the weevil larvae will mature and emerge before tree planting season. Problems for forest managers occur when pine stands are harvested after the first of July. In these areas the weevils will be active at the time seedlings are planted. This can result in a partial or complete loss of seedlings. Seedling damage by weevils can be prevented by delaying planting of the site for one year if it was harvested after the first of July.