Yew weevils: those fat, black beetles you suddenly see crawling across your plants in the evening. They nibble neatly out of the edges of your leaves, and their larvae cause even more damage underground. But how long do these beetles actually live? And why are they so hard to get rid of? Time to unravel their life cycle.
How long does a yew beetle live?
An adult vine weevil lives an average of 3 to 6 months. That sounds manageable, but the problem lies in the larvae, which remain active much longer and often cause damage unnoticed. The entire cycle can take almost a year, and in the meantime, the beetle quietly reproduces.
How can it be that it bothers me so much?
The answer lies in the yew beetle's life cycle. Here's how it works:
- Eggs: In summer, the female lays about 500 to 1,000 eggs in the soil near the roots of plants. The eggs hatch after 2 to 3 weeks .
- Larvae: The tiny larvae immediately begin feeding on the roots of your plants. They remain active in the soil, sometimes for up to eight months , and are busy feeding throughout the fall and early spring.
- Pupae: After the larval stage, they pupate in the ground, usually in late spring. This takes 2 to 4 weeks .
- Adult beetles: In summer, the beetles emerge from the ground. They are primarily active at night, feed on leaves, and almost immediately begin laying eggs. And so the cycle begins again.
Because larvae live deep in the soil, damage is often noticed late. Your plant suddenly appears limp or stops growing, while the beetle is already working on the next generation.
