Vine weevils

Farway

The site referred to by van1971 is US, thus UK rules do not apply

I reckon the use of neem oil would fall into the category of using washing up liquid or soaked fag ends to kill aphids, not approved but used by thousands regardless

[Deleted User]

Very interesting, thanks. My neighbour who is a keen organic gardener told me about it, she's been using it for years.

This is the one I use: http://multipharmacy.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=9900

Neem is a tree, this article is very informative http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:higGnh0ouWMJ:www.gardenorganic.org.uk/pdfs/international_programme/NeemTree.pdf+Azadirachta+indica&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk

Dustykitten

I have just taken some dying plants out of a pot and found the vine weevil grubs.

Plants are beyond saving. What should I do with the compost? Should I just put it into the household waste - not loads of it? Will they have travelled into other pots nearby?

Farway

Dustykitten wrote: »

I have just taken some dying plants out of a pot and found the vine weevil grubs.

Plants are beyond saving. What should I do with the compost? Should I just put it into the household waste - not loads of it? Will they have travelled into other pots nearby?

You can just tip it on the garden, natural enemies will eat any left

Vine weevils are mobile as they have legs, so yes they can & will travel to other pots, but they prefer certain plants, like cyclamen, fuchia, sedum

Some plants are not affected, guess they weevils dislike the taste

rhiwfield

Dustykitten wrote: »

I have just taken some dying plants out of a pot and found the vine weevil grubs.

Plants are beyond saving. What should I do with the compost? Should I just put it into the household waste - not loads of it? Will they have travelled into other pots nearby?

I've just found grubs in a heuchera pot and also in a contained rock bed where I was changing a soft fruit bush. Washed down the heuchera roots and squished all the weevils with a stone...gross but effective.

Dustykitten

Farway wrote: »

You can just tip it on the garden, natural enemies will eat any left

Vine weevils are mobile as they have legs, so yes they can & will travel to other pots, but they prefer certain plants, like cyclamen, fuchia, sedum

Some plants are not affected, guess they weevils dislike the taste

This was a pot of candelabra primula. Would the grubs not just disappear into the ground and spread the problem if I tip the compost on the garden

Not seen any of the weevils just the grubs. I've had them before at the other end of the garden on the rhodies

psso

Put the grubs on a plant pot saucer and let the birds have a feed.
And if you see any adult beetles, place a suitably shod foot strategically over the top and press down firmly :rotfl:It makes a lovely satisfying crunching noise.

Davesnave

Nematodes are not expensive if you have a lot of pot plants and can keep the soil moist. Otherwise, Provado can be stored season to season, but it's no good for greenhouse borders producing edible crops.

It's certainly not too early for vine weevil larvae. I had some two months ago. Being unable to guarantee genuinely damp pots this year, I went down the Provado route with my ornamentals and I suppose I've spent around £100. Cost is relative to what you have to protect! Normally, I find nematodes give superior control and, as Peter says, they are faster & easier to apply. If using Provado, I always collect what drains through pots by putting them in large deep trays; it's more dilute but not wasted.

I always treat weevil-favoured things like primulas and heucheras before other plants too, as early as July, then repeat later.

And yes, vine weevils have legs, so even if you don't have any, your neighbour probably does!

peter_the_piper

Don#t skimp on vine weevil control, whilst it may cost a few pounds, the plant they kill always costs more for some reason. We treat every pot we have with nematodes, over the years the amount we have lost has dwindled to almost zero, which is remarkable as the farmer next door used to grow strawberries through plastic and forgot he could not kill the vine weevil through it. He gave up and ploughed them all in. Millions (well it seemed like it) had no home so they set out in all directions and moved in. Took a long time to wipe them out.
ps. We prefer to treat in autumn as its easier to ensure the pots are all kept moist or you've wasted you money (and 250million nematodes are not that cheap)