Vine Weevils - What do we do ?

Well a lovely trailing begonia I have grown from a plug has just succumbed to the Vine Weevil grubs eating the roots/corm . The grubs , if you don't know , are white and about as big as an orange pip. Just been reading up on them and ....
Vine weevil adults can’t fly, they can only walk and climb so I often find that steep-sided, smooth-glazed pots are safe, because the female can’t scale the sides to lay her eggs in the surface of the compost.
My pot was half way up a trellis !
Vine weevil adults may not do that much damage themselves BUT each and every one is female, they don’t need a partner to create zillions of eggs and then grubs,
Is this true ! There must be a male somewhere in the life cycle .

Luckily my attacks by Vine Weevil are not very common , but is there any protection you can add to the compost etc ?

 

My Wood Mouse used to love a good Vine Weevil

Failing that...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8...qmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_33lionkmup_e

 

Hi Harry,

I always use " Provado Vine Weevil Killer ". ( There's also another one called " Bug Clear Vine Weevil Killer " but I've never seen that one ).

You use it twice a year, Spring and Autumn and ( touch wood ) I haven't lost any of my Fuchsias in the two years I've been using it.

These are only suitable for ornamentals but, for edible plants you can buy nematodes to use on them.

 

PS, don't buy the the Provado off Amazon it's a rip off.
It's generally between £6 to £8 in shops/garden centers.

 

Similar issue where I live!

Need a way to reduce the adults other then my foot!

Good luck

Phil

 

There was a chemical-impregnated compost under the Levington brand available in the UK a few years ago, but I think it may have been withdrawn? The nematodes only work under very specific temperature and humidity conditions.

 

In my VM Launch & Offensive, I use two methods for my troughs.

1 ► Vine Weevil Killer Spray. Used to use Provado but that doesn't seem to be available anywhere now so I use the BugClear one. Even that is getting difficult to source.

2 ► I put down a line of Ant Killer powder encircling the troughs with the idea that if you get the adults on the ground before they start their forays up the side of the troughs to go on egg-laying frenzies, then that'll be ideal.

Never heard of anyone else doing the Ant Killer thing but to me it seems logical. It's supposed to kill all crawling insects. I don't want to kill any other insects really but they'll unfortunately be sideline casualties of the VM War. :( :(

Vine Weevils are the No. 1 Pest in my garden. (Blackbirds are No. 2. Snails & Slugs, No. 3.)