The red sunflower seed weevil might be waiting to make a meal from sunflower crops this summer. Only a single sunflower weevil per head can reach an economic threshold, so scouting and implementing management plans is integral to crop value.

North Dakota State University integrated pest management coordinator Patrick Beauzay says this pest has become a particular problem in South Dakota, where there has been confirmed resistance to pyrethroid insecticides.

In 2023, integrated pest management surveys from NDSU found red sunflower seed weevil in 169 fields in 35 counties in North Dakota. But there were only a few where the infestation was at the threshold or above across the state. The real problem is in South Dakota, with field outbreaks between 10 and 1,000 times over the threshold, along with reported pyrethroid failures.

Read more about the insecticide-resistant red sunflower weevil here.