Sign Up for Updates
Integrated Crop Management
Integrated Crop Management
Sign Up for Updates

Watch for weevils in alfalfa

May 8, 2026
Content Author: Erin Hodgson, Ashley Dean, Rebecca Vittetoe

The hot-and-cold temperatures this spring have delayed alfalfa weevil development throughout the state. We visited a field in Henry County, IA this week and noticed all sizes of larvae plus pupae. Take a sweep net to the field to see what's happening in your alfalfa fields. Also, note aphids and other potential pests. Sometimes, mechanical control (mowing) may be the most economical management tool. 

Watch a short video we made this week: https://youtube.com/shorts/qcOXEPmWoVk 

For more information on alfalfa weevil thresholds: https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/alfalfa-weevil

Aphid management in alfalfa: https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2022/05/aphids-showing-alfalfa 

Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Integrated Crop Management News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on May 8, 2026. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.

Authored by
Photo of Erin Hodgson
Erin Hodgson
  • Professor
  • Extension Entomologist Specialist
  • ANR Crops Team Leader
Dr. Erin Hodgson started working in the Department of Entomology, now the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, at Iowa State University in 2009. She is a professor with extension and research responsibilities in corn and soybeans. She has a general background in integrated pest management (IPM) for field crops. Dr. Hodgson's current extension and research programs are focused on improving corn and soybean production by using IPM tactics to protect yield and increase overall farmer profits. Among other projects, she oversees insecticide efficacy evaluations for soybean aphids, Japanese beetles, and aphids in corn. Erin also helps manage emerging field crop pests and invasive species.
ashley dean headshot
Ashley Dean
  • Extension Specialist II
Ashley is an extension specialist for field crop entomology at Iowa State University. Ashley coordinates the Iowa Moth Trapping Network, the Regional Corn Rootworm Monitoring Network, and the Iowa Pest Alert Network. She also develops educational resources for field crop pests in Iowa and aids in the research efforts of the Soybean Research Laboratory.
Rebecca Vittetoe
Rebecca Vittetoe
  • Field Agronomist in EC/SE Iowa
Rebecca Vittetoe works with farmers, landowners, and ag retailers to answer agronomy-related questions. Her areas of expertise include general agronomy, crop diseases, corn, soybean, and forage management, cover crops, integrated pest management, and crop scouting. Vittetoe received her B.S. in agronomy along with a journalism and mass communications minor from Iowa State University in 2014. She earn her M.S. in agronomy from Iowa State University in 2019.

Crops:

Topics:

Tags: