When the presence of the boll weevil within the United States was first discovered, cotton growers refused to believe that this little brown beetle could cause serious damage. The discovery was made about 1892, in southern Texas. About 30 years later, it was estimated that the boll weevil had decreased the annual cotton crop by more than 6,000,000 bales!

The boll weevil is a native of Central America. It worked northward through Mexico, and crossed the border into Texas at Brownsville. Like most insects, it has a keen sense of smell. Experiments have shown that the boll weevils which have just come forth in the final, or beetle stage of their development can head straight for a cotton field several miles away!