The Boll Weevil Attract-and-Control Tube (BWACT) is a controversial control technology whose role in boll weevil management is poorly understood. This study evaluated how aging of BWACTs in the field influenced weevil mortality and response behavior. BWACTs were assayed after field aging for 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 weeks. Efficacy against naturally responding weevils was estimated through intense observations in which landing weevils were captured at departure and held to determine mortality after 24 and 48 h. Traps were used to capture weevils for assay by forced contact for 30 sec on the same BWACTs observed in the field, and to obtain weevils for the unexposed controls. Average duration of weevil exposure to the BWACT increased with BWACT age from 1.73 min (0-wk-old) to 7.94 min (7-wk-old). Most weevils remained on the BWACT for <5 min but the proportion of weevils in this group decreased with increasing BWACT age. Mortality by either natural response or forced contact decreased with increasing BWACT age, but a maximum mortality rate of 10% was observed (0-wk-old BWACT, natural response after 48 h). No mortality was observed by any method for BWACTs aged for longer than 1 wk. Seventy-four percent of weevils responding naturally to the BWACT pheromone did not land on the BWACT. Low observed mortality and the failure of most weevils to land on the BWACT raise serious doubts regarding the usefulness of the current BWACT in boll weevil management programs.