Q&A - What is causing my pecan kernels to turn black?
Question:
The kernels of my pecans are black and I see small holes in the shells. What is causing this?
Answer:
Black pecan kernels are caused by stink bugs. While the pecans are small with soft shells, stinkbugs penetrate the shell and inject a chemical into the pecan which causes the pecan to decompose in that area. The stinkbug then sucks the nutrients out of the pecan. While this may be unsightly the pecan is still safe to eat. Stinkbugs can be controlled by a regular spray schedule but this may be difficult if you have a mature tall tree. The regular spray schedule will also protect against fungal disease. If you open the pecan and there is a worm, that is the pecan weevil. Pecan weevils hatch in the ground and crawl up the tree to the nuts. They can be stopped with a sticky substance around the pecan tree or but installing cone traps.
The publication Mike was referring to is the Homeowner Pecan Spray Guide from the UT Redbook.
Related Resources:
Pecan Insect Pests
Pecan Diseases
Home Nut Tree Plan
Pecan Planting & Fertilization
The kernels of my pecans are black and I see small holes in the shells. What is causing this?
Answer:
Black pecan kernels are caused by stink bugs. While the pecans are small with soft shells, stinkbugs penetrate the shell and inject a chemical into the pecan which causes the pecan to decompose in that area. The stinkbug then sucks the nutrients out of the pecan. While this may be unsightly the pecan is still safe to eat. Stinkbugs can be controlled by a regular spray schedule but this may be difficult if you have a mature tall tree. The regular spray schedule will also protect against fungal disease. If you open the pecan and there is a worm, that is the pecan weevil. Pecan weevils hatch in the ground and crawl up the tree to the nuts. They can be stopped with a sticky substance around the pecan tree or but installing cone traps.
The publication Mike was referring to is the Homeowner Pecan Spray Guide from the UT Redbook.
Related Resources:
Pecan Insect Pests
Pecan Diseases
Home Nut Tree Plan
Pecan Planting & Fertilization