Development of the Bait Principle for Boll Weevil Control: Cottonseed Oil, a Source of Attractants and Feeding Stimulants for the Boll Weevil123

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Abstract
Boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, made almost as many feeding punctures in agar plugs treated with crude cottonseed oil as in those treated with a water extract of cotton squares (flower buds). In a field-cage experiment, almost 80% of the adult weevil population was attracted to and fed on a paste like bait formulation containing 16% crude cottonseed oil that was applied to vigorously growing cotton plants at a rate of 6-13 gallon per acre. The addition or deletion of a water extract of squares did not produce a detectable difference in the percentage of weevils feeding on the bait. Therefore, crude cottonseed oil is a nearly limitless and inexpensive source of both feeding stimulants and attractants for the boll weevil and can be used to form an effective bait that should provide a new method of control.

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