Sweet Potato Weevils Control & Removal Guide
(Sweetpotato weevil)*Cylas formicarius*
How They Get In
- Purchased sweet potatoes already carry eggs from the field with only tiny holes visible.
- Dark, damp storage promotes weevil reproduction.
- Balcony or yard sweet potato plants attract adult weevils from outdoors.
- Weevils from hallway storage spread to individual units.
How to Get Rid of Them
- Pre-Treatment: Inspect all stored sweet potatoes. Discard tubers with obvious holes, softening, or rot. Separate sound potatoes to ventilated storage. Clean storage area debris.;
- Key Zones: Storage corner floors and walls, storage room corners, balcony edges, container bottoms.;
- Application: Spray storage area floors and corners. Container exteriors. Never on potato skins.;
- Post-Treatment: Close 1-2 hours, ventilate 30+ minutes. Inspect stored potatoes regularly.;
- Prevention: Consume within 2-4 weeks. Store at 15-20 C in ventilated conditions. Refrigerate in summer at 10-15 C.
Prevention & Follow-Up
Use sweet potatoes within 2 to 4 weeks of buying them. Store tubers in a cool, well-ventilated spot (60–68°F is ideal). Never seal them in plastic bags—that traps heat and moisture. Check tubers often for tiny boreholes and soft spots; throw away infested ones right away before the weevils spread. In summer, keep sweet potatoes in the refrigerator (50–59°F) to slow weevil development.