50 ways to kill a vine weevil? Help!

bluep

Hot on the tail of the slugs thread (do slugs have tails or just long necks?), I have been infested by vine weevils for the past 2 years. Last year was the worst - all over the garden and we found them in the kitchen (crawled into a loaf of bread), the bathroom and even once in my bed! I HATE THEM! But even worse than the beetle thing itself is the little c shaped maggots in the pots.

My garden is mostly a back-yard pot garden and although I have treated the plants twice this year already with vine weevil killing juice, it costs a fortune from the garden centre (like £9 a tub and it takes 2 or 3 to do the whole yard). I have still killed around 4 vine weevils a week (they make a really horrible crack when you stamp on them) so I hate to think how many little wriggling babies they have left in my pots.

I can't seem to find treated compost in any of our garden centres (repotting would be a nightmare!), nemotodes are difficult as we live in a funny climate here - can go from hot to cold very quickly and rain lots so timing the nemotodes is difficult.

Any ideas? These things really are the bane of my life!

squeaky

Two ways without nematodes is a) make pitfall traps from plastic cups with paper cones in and b) put folded sacking around or near the base of plants for them to use to hide up during the day - then of course, you squish 'em.

A google on "Vine weevil"+control brought up all sorts of sites that you'd have to evaluate for yourself but to start you off take a look at This One.

aderbyshirelad

Hi guys,

Thanks to everyone for their useful suggestions on my previous "Squirrels vs bulbs" thread and great to see that we now have a Gardening Board - cheers MSE.

We moved into our first home with a garden in September and I couldn't wait to get started. On day one however I discovered that we have a very large and very healthy colony of the dreaded vine weevil and my enthusiasm has just vanished. (Hence planting of bulbs in pots).

The little swine have eaten bergina, rosemary and hellobores left by the previous owner in various beds (I couldn't believe the damage on the rosemary).

The garden is only small and has one panel fence covered completely by ivy and a back wall also completely covered by ivy which provide ideal conditions for these voarcious thugs - which is why they don't seem to eat ivy I guess.

Getting rid of the ivy isn't an option, so does anyone know of some treatment that reliably gets rid of this scourge or even controls it at a reasonable level. I know you can get biological controls, but are they really effective outside. I also read of treatments for containers, but these aren't supposed to be used on open ground. I'd really like to be as green as possible, but there's little point in me being green if the garden can't be!

Sorry to go on, but the blighters are really bad and I've waited so long for my own patch I'm actually quite dowm about it and all for giving up - which is stupid, I know.

Thanks for reading...

conradmum

I'm really amazed to read of vine weevils doing such damage in open ground. Are you 100% sure this is what it is? I have thick ivy growing near my veggie plot and have had no damage from them at all.

aderbyshirelad

Yup, pretty sure its weevil. Saw quite a few of the adults in the autumn. Typical shape on the damaged leaves (in minature on the rosemary). Haven't got around to doing any digging to see if I can find the bugs in the soil. The beds are quite small (one is raised and brick-edged) and the garden is completely enclosed (Victorian terrace).

I don't think it's the ivy in itself encouraging them, but the year-long shelter it provides them. I can't really think what else it could be... Any suggestions on alternative bugs?

conradmum

Yes, you will see them around, though it may not mean that's what's causing the damage. Having said that, it sounds like the area is rather like very large pots (to the weevils at least!) which could explain it. When you say the plants are damaged, are you only talking about leaf damage, then? Have the plants died or have they just been eaten away?

aderbyshirelad

Hi conradmum

Plants haven't died just been eaten away and look awful, hence I haven't planted anything else yet. You're spot on with the garden being like a collection of large pots. That's why my natural assumption was that it was weevil and the leave damage backs this up. At this rate I guess the best thing to do is to start searching out plants that weevils don't like (I was amazed to see damage on the rosemary - and very disheartened, too, although we have a serious problem at work with little beggars destroying bay trees).

conradmum

You have my sympathies. I've looked vine weevils up in my RHS book and it says established plants can tolerate damage but if the problem is serious spray at dusk (probably to avoid killing bees) with permethrin, HCH or pirimiphos-methyl. The book's a bit old so not sure if these are still permitted. It also says to clear up all plant debris.
Rosemary's v. tough so :eek: at the vine weevils going for that!
Symptoms for vine weevil larvae damage are that the plants grow slowly, wilt, collapse and die. I think you can nematodes for these. Try here:
http://www.greengardener.co.uk/
Personally I don't spray, but it sounds like your garden's a haven for pests. How about trying to encourage beneficial wildlife in there that'll help maintain some kind of balance? Maybe put out food for the birds, and grow some insect attractants?

aderbyshirelad

Thanks conradmum

Will investigate your leads. We're trying to encourage birds into the garden at the moment but not with a huge amount of success - probably the squirrels frightening them off. Mum got a hedgehog house for Christmas and I quite like that idea as hopefully it would save me having to take a torch out every night to pick off snails and slugs (we're truly blessed as we seem to be a haven for them too!!), but I'm not sure there are many hedgehogs around our neck of the woods.

Just need to find something that considers weevils a delicacy and we'd be sorted....

I'd love not to have to spray, but it will probably have to come to it, unfortunately.

conradmum

Yes, sometimes it's unavoidable.:( Good luck.

angelavdavis

Well, as well as the chemical option there is a bio option - I have only used this for pots, but I am sure it will work on open ground. It is basically the larvae for a nematode that eats them.

I found it on Two Wests & Elliots site - see http://www.twowests.co.uk/TwoWestsSite/product/NBKVK.htm