Sharon Hughes wrote:
Pooh! Just called up vine weevil on Google, and that's the infernal beetle
looking at me! Funnily enough I first noticed them around a large pot I
moved, complete with Schumach baby in it, from the last house. Sooo not
impressed with now having a pot-filled courtyard garden! Still, seems to be
a plethora of products on the market to deal with them.
Well at least I know now. Next question: can anyone recommend, from
experience, the best product around please?
Yours, now slumping off to sit in front of the TV as I can't bear to go
outside again ......and after all that hard work { :~ (
First check the pots.. If you have anything looking abit sickly, check
that first.. Small white grubs near the roots about 7mm long.. Could
WELL be vine weevil.. Bit if you look closely you will see that they are
in fact dark grey/brown with orange spots.. That is why I was asking
before..
the other thing is that they are flightless and will drop when
disturbed.
Once you've done a 100% ID then decide how to treat them..
Chemical means.. 1 main method.. Suscon green aka Bio Provado (IIRC,
this could be wrong).. Anyway there is one main retail, chmical method
available..
More biological or non chemical methods include trapping adults, using
grease around pots to prevent climbing, repottong badly affected plants
and washing roots and treating EVERY pot with a nematode biological
control.. THis will involve keeping pots moist for about 2 weeks after
so make sure you do it when you are around.
The other thing is that Vine weevil thrive particularly well in modern,
soft, peat based composts and in containers filled with it. We've made
life a lot easier for them by providing plenty of ideal habitat and free
global transportation!-)
So a change to 'old style' loam composts and using gritty mulches may
discourage them quite a bit. As it makes their egg laying harder.
Plenty of information on all the products online.. I get my nematode
control when needed (not very often) from:
http://www.organiccatalogue.com
//
JimW