Hi,

Many thanks to everyone for their replies. I have been reading up on
the suggestions made so here is a summary and some further thoughts.

There seem to be two main chemical controls, Armillatox and Provado.

Armillatox (www.armillatox.co.uk) is due to be withdrawn in July,
due to an EU review, although armillatox's manufacturer has appealed.
It is already getting a little scarce but I did manage to find a couple
of garden centres still selling it. It targets the Vine Weevil eggs and
needs regular applications, fortnightly mid March to October and monthly
from November to mid March. It says it doesn't harm centipedes which are
a Vine Weevil predator but it does kill off other things. I am really
reluctant to go this route unless absolutely necessary as I don't want
to be committed to putting chemicals in the garden so frequently and all
year round. I guess once started, you'd be committed to doing it until
your supplies run out.

Provado (www.pbi.co.uk) is widely available, contains imidacloprid and is
designed for use in containers rather than in the open ground which I am
dealing with. They say: "Provado Vine Weevil Killer should not be used
on plants in open ground, because it is important to treat them with the
correct rate of product. To do this, you need to know how much soil the
plant is growing in - impossible when that plant is out in the garden."

For non-chemical methods, nematodes are expensive and not easy to
apply effectively. You have to get the correct minimum soil temperature.
There seem to be two kinds. Heterorhabditis megidis works best at around
14C the trade name is Grubsure. Steinernema kraussei works down to 5C
the trade name Nemasys Vine Weevil Killer. I have read that they give
poor results in dry or heavy soils. I'd be interested to hear if anyone
has used these successfully outside in open ground, otherwise I don't
intend to pay out for them.

So for open ground, rather than container grown, there doesn't seem to be
an easy option. As I have read that the larvae don't do too much damage
in open ground as there's so much for them to feed on I am thinking of
not applying a treatment but just trying the manual controls such as:

Rolled up corrugated cardboard that the adults hide in during the day
and can be emptied.

Catching the adults at night by shaking the plant while holding a white
tray underneath, then crunch them.

Encouraging natural predators. Apparently vine weevils and their grubs
are eaten by birds, frogs, toads, shrews, hedgehogs and predatory
ground beetles.

Minimal watering of plants in July and August. I read "Egg and
larval survival is helped when soil moisture is moderate to high in
July and August. Heavy mulches also help maintain critical moisture
levels. Remove excessive mulch layers and do not water plants unless
necessary. Excessively damp soils in the autumn also force larvae to
move up the base of the plant where girdling can occur."

Useful Links:

http://www.vine.weevil.org.uk/
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile...vineweevil.asp
http://www.tmac.clara.co.uk/urgring/faqweevl.htm
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/vineweevil.htm

Ellen.