I bought sabal seeds off etsy recently. At least 3 of the bags have these bugs in them.

Are these duds or a danger to my garden? Can  I treat them to save other seeds innthe bag & prevent further infestation?

About to message seller.

 

I think theyre palm seed weevils, caryobruchus gleditsiae.

 

Could I freeze the seeds to kill pests or would that harm the embryos

2 hours ago, Jubilation said:

I bought sabal seeds off etsy recently. At least 3 of the bags have these bugs in them.

Are these duds or a danger to my garden? Can  I treat them to save other seeds innthe bag & prevent further infestation?

About to message seller.

 

I think theyre palm seed weevils, caryobruchus gleditsiae.

 

Yes, those are weevils, and they can be a real pain!!. You can separate the good seeds from the bad by soaking them discard any that float and keep the ones that sink. Just be sure to store the survivors in a cool, dry area afterward. Also you should contact the seller about this.

 

 

Seed weevils. Female lay eggs probably when the palm is flowering and the offspring dig in and eat the growing seed. When they mature they will exit the shell via a circular hole they create. The seed is dead. Weevils seem to cotton to some species of Sabal and ignore others. I don't know why. I don't have a problem with most of mine, except for one cultivar.

After I harvest and clean a batch of seeds I put them in a baggie and send a spritz of Raid inside as a welcoming gift. Then I wait for several weeks, pick out the dead seeds, wash the live ones then let them dry.

Certainly notify the seller but be aware he can't know what seeds are infected either. He should take measures to improve his QC before he sends them out. He should also include more than a few extra seeds to cover in case there are late arriving weevils.

Oops, my bad. I got you mixed up with a PTer in PA. What SE state do you live in? (GA, FL, SC, NC other?) I need to know so I can tailor a credible answer. I don't know how far north seed weevils can survive without knowing even the state you live in. 

Update:

I reached out to seller and they were very helpful. They sent replacements and gave advice. I squashed all the bugs and will be treating the seeds with bug spray. Will continue to monitor the bags till planting time.  All is well that hopefully ends well!! Also, no these bugs aren't native to my area because palms aren't native here either.