Vine weevil remedies

orangecrush

Evening all,

Not having any soil in the garden (rented house) I have gone a bit container mad. And I've got a vine weevil problem, that seems to be getting worse.

They killed some strawberry plants last year, so I used nemasys to try and get rid (I replaced the compost for strawberries, and nemasys-ed everything, following instructions).

This year they've killed fuschias and a lovely azalea. I don't want to use chemicals if I can avoid it, and I know I definitely can't use chemicals in anything to be eaten. I've got barrier glue to try and stop them getting from pot to pot but we have a tiny courtyard and a lot of pots, so there are leaves and branches crossing that may allow them to pass.

Just wondering if anyone had any other vine weevil tips worth trying?

Happy weekend!

I_have_spoken

Provado .

Linda32

and second Provado.

You can not avoid using Provado if you want to get rid of vine weevil. There isn't another method. Especially if you garden in pots.

It is the grubs laid by the beetle which causes the problem, they simply munch their way around the pot eating the roots as they go.

From memory I think you use the wash (as its called) three times a year which seems to have worked for me.

I wouldn't have any problems using Provado on vegetables or salad that I intended to eat. They are intended to kill vine weevil grubs not you or me I sling slug pellets all over our veg and would have no hesitation in using Provado if I still had too.

orangecrush

Great, thanks so much both of you! I asked at my garden centre (normally very good) and they said anything bar nematodes would make fruit and veg unsafe to eat. Obviously they hadn't heard of provado!

We are hopefully moving to a house with an actual garden, so can reduce our reliance on pots, and I hope with provado I can avoid a vine weevil population establishing in the new place!

Linda32

You should do. You could have vine weevils (and therefore the grubs which cause the problem) but in the garden they munch around and wander around not causing so much damage to one particular root as they would in a pot where they would go around and around.

In my case it looked as if I had gone along the whole length of pots with pair of scissors cutting the plants off at the stems.

orangecrush

Gosh that sounds awful!! My poor bay trees are looking really sorry for themselves but thankfully the weevils seem to prefer the younger leaves and branches, and leave the older ones, so for now I can just remove the damage and not have too much impact overall.

We have them in the house too, and they've nibbled some cala lily leaves, thankfully they don't seem to care for the orchids. We think they get in the same way the slugs, woodlice and centipedes do :rotfl:

Davesnave

It's possible to kill vine weevil with nematodes, and having used them on a commercial scale, I can vouch for their efficacy when compared with Provado. However, they must be used when temperatures are still high enough in the autumn and they'll not work in colder weather, so timing is important.

Secondly, the nematodes don't keep for long, which is a disadvantage compared with a chemical that stores for years.

On all the Provado VWK I've seen there's been a warning that it's not for food crops, so the garden centre staff were not necessarily wrong. Mine's all old stock, but I know that Provado VWK has been reformulated recently, and that's not for the first time, so I'm pretty confused now!

There is also a general Provado spray , not specifically recommended for vine weevil, just to add further to the chaos.....

Oh, and no one likes the new bottle on the vine weevil product:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00I9VE1ES/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=569136327&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004R1V2YG&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=5DX4THVAASQ9TGMHR75F

orangecrush

Thanks!! It might be worth another go with nematodes when we move - our current courtyard is north facing, and although it does get sun, it doesn't get that warm. We're also up north and on a hill New house has a more sheltered garden with more sun!

Really appreciate all the advice, thanks very much

elaineruk

Pippa Greenwood recommends nematodes - good article here goto4gardening.co.uk/vine-weevils-yuk/

furbi

I unwittingly transferred vine weevils from my allotment to my garden by bringing plants home. You might want to consider buying new plants for the new home - or take cuttings. They are so destructive. Good luck!