On Nov 21, 4:25*pm, Rambling Marge
wrote:
Hello, everyone. I think I might have made a big mistake and I could use
some help...

About a year-and-spare-change ago I started a compost heap in a plastic
grid composer, using mainly leaves and mowed grass. This week I finally
dug into it, and found the compost inhabited by fat creamy-white grubs
up to 2cm in length. I didn't think much of it and simply picked them
out of the compost I planned to use, returning some to the composter
and disposing of the others. Doing some research this weekend, I
discovered to my dismay that what I'm dealing with are vine weevil
larvae!

Here's what worries me: I used the soil they produced throughout most
of my garden, and although I'm sure I removed all the grubs before
using the soil, I'm still worried whether there are any sneaky grubs
eating through my plants. I'm also not quite sure whether to expect all
the eggs are hatched; I didn't *see* anything that might have been eggs,
but that's hardly any assurance, right?

On the other hand, most of the information I've read focuses on the
disaster the larvae make in potted plants - and I've got an outdoor
garden, complete with a surrounding forest of Other Stuff the larvae
can nibble on, and hopefully an array of natural enemies they can fall
prey to. Furthermore, I've been working in this garden for nearly ten
years now, and although I've often seen adult vine weevils lurking
about in the summer, I've never had any problems with them, whether
it's the adults eating the leaves, or the larvae at the roots (and this
week is the first time I've ever actually *seen* the larvae).

I've read through this tread -http://tinyurl.com/ybg8ojt- but I'm
still not really sure what to do. Should I start applying insecticide
just to be safe, or wait to see if there's any damage being done? I
repeat, I've never had problems with these larvae before, but then
again, I've never used soil they'd frolicked about in before.

And what should I do with the composter? Should I leave the larvae in
there and pick them out before usage? (I got the impression they were
churning out some nice compost) Or dispose of them all and good
riddance? Is there any way of preventing them showing up again, apart
from insecticide?

Sorry about the long post - and thank you for any advice you might
have!

Cheers,
Marge

--
Rambling Marge

I'm not sure I'd panic yet :-) First, there is no guarantee that what
you are dealing with IS vine weevil larvae -- a great many soil and
compost dwelling insects produce fat grub-like larvae, much of them
beneficial. Vine weevil larvae is also larger than what you describe,
typically 10-12 cm and with a distinctive "C" shaped curve. Personally
without a confirmed ID, I'd remove them from any compost I was
applying now and destroy and wait to see what happens in spring when
they should become active. If you DO have a problem then - and I doubt
you will - then you can apply beneficial nematodes. Nematodes need
warm soil conditions to be effective so applying now would be a waste
of product/money and may not even be necessary.

btw, an active compost operation that attains sufficient heat should
discourage vine weevil larvae - both the turning/aeration and the heat
generated will kill off any eggs that were laid that were not consumed
by other soil organisms.