Hollyhock seeds and weevils

Question

I’ve been collecting various Hollyhock seeds from the neighborhood to plant for next year’s front yard border. I’ve been storing them in paper envelopes. When I went to add more seeds today, I noticed the weevils crawling up the side of the envelope. I’ve smashed as many as I could see but now I’m concerned that the seeds will be useless because obviously the weevils have laid eggs in some of them. Is there a way to fumigate the seeds to kill the eggs? Is it possible to inspect the seeds to see if they’re still good? Or should I just dump the whole lot and buy the plants from the nursery?

Answer 1

I have heard that putting the seeds in a container (or envelope) for about a week or so will kill off the weevils. If you put them in an airtight container(glass/plastic), allow it to sit at room temp before opening. Though I personally have not tried this and can, therefore, not swear to its effectiveness, I think it would still be worth a try before dumping the seeds completely. If the seeds have already been devoured inside by the weevils, though, their viability, of course, will be zero.

It may be worth learning how to look for and treat the weevil issue on the plants by sharing the following article with your neighbors, which will reduce the chances of infected seeds: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/hollyhock/controlling-hollyhock-weevils.htm