It looks like sunflower growers will be spared the plague of the head moth this year.
Phil Sloderbeck, entomologist at Kansas State University, said moth populations in the sunflower region around Goodland appear to be low this year.
However, seed weevil populations are higher than average.
In years when head moths are a problem, seed weevils are generally not, in part because spraying for head moths controls them as well.
Sloderbeck said that higher commodity prices this year mean that farmers should pay more attention to controlling seed weevils especially since they may not need to spray for head moths.
For more information about weevils and when control measures will help the bottom line, contact Sloderbeck at psloderb@ksu.edu.