Vegetable-garden variety
Relatives of the infamous boll weevil, these plant-feeding beetles have beak-or snoutlike heads. Species vary in shape, size, and color.
Each weevil species attacks certain plants. Larvae of the carrot weevil leave zigzag paths in the roots of carrots, celery, parsley, and parsnips. Adult vegetable weevils eat all but the central vein of beet, cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce leaves. Bean weevils lay eggs in seed pods; the larvae hatch, grow, and spread in ripening and stored beans. Pea weevils nibble notches from the edges of young pea and bean plants.
Most weevils can be controlled by rotating affected crops. in summer, remove all garden debris and weeds where weevils hide; after harvest, remove the crop remains. Early in the spring, cultivate deeply to destroy weevil pupae.