Infested chestnuts should not be consumed.
Worms in chestnut trees are usually the large or small chestnut weevil. These insects lay eggs inside the chestnuts themselves. The larvae will eat its way out of the chestnuts after they fall from the tree. They then overwinter in the soil, and reemerge to infest the tree in the spring or summer. Keeping worms out of chestnut trees involves controlling the weevil population through proper cultural practices and insecticide application.
Instructions
1. Pick up fallen chestnuts as soon as they fall from the tree to prevent birds or animals from opening them, and to prevent more weevils from entering the soil. Examine the nuts for larvae exit holes. Place damaged nuts in one bucket for disposal, and place undamaged nuts in a second bucket. You can treat the undamaged nuts in a hot water bath to kill any eggs, and they will still be edible.
2. Wait for adult weevils to appear on the tree crown, which usually occurs in late summer. Apply a carbaryl insecticide to the tree, following the package's application instructions. Repeat the application once a week until you stop seeing weevils in the tree crown. Apply the insecticide on still, warm days when weevils are most active.
3. Rake up any remaining fallen chestnut leaves, nuts, or burs under the tree in the late fall. Burn this material to prevent any worms in the material from maturing.
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