HELP. Vine Weevils.

[VolesAteMyPeas]

I've been noticing notches cut out of the leaves of my blackberry cuttings and potted strawberries in the back yard for a while now and just put it down to slug damage. However, tonight I actually saw a little critter in action. After a bit of research, it's quite obviously a vine weevil. I'd seen them before but left them because I just thought they were harmless beetles. Noooooo.
It seems like they're really bad news and, on inspection, loads of plants and cuttings in the yard have damage. No idea what I'll find if I dig beneath the surface.
So what should I do? Do I really have to get rid of all my treasured cuttings and pot plants? Does anyone have any experiences of success in getting rid? Worst of all, I transplanted some strawberry runners down the allotment a couple of months ago so it's probable they're infested too. Not very happy. Any help appreciated.

[sparrow100]

Nematodes - but I'm not sure if it's still warm enough for them to survive. Otherwise, you might have to get rid of all the plants. Sorry!

[Alison]

I think that the nematodes only work on the grubs not the beetles themselves (may be wrong on this) and as you say, only work when the temperature is above a certain level. They are indeed horrible things, lost a load of strawberries to them in the past, you could repot and ensure that the compost is clean with no eggs etc there but not sure how practicable that would be.

[roitelet]

Rather than ditch the plants at once you could take them out of the pots and wash all the soil of the roots and then repot using new compost, they may recover. When the temperatures are right you could then treat the survivors with the nematodes.

Worth a try

[kathyd]

That's what I'd do Roitlet, wash the roots, ditch the compost and re-plant. Even if you can't do all of them you may be able to save some of your favourites. Horrible things, vine weevils

[Kirk]

Generally there will be grubs in the actual compost/pot, these munch on the roots and they cause what is likely the most damage.

Repotting everything would be one option however you would need to go back to bare roots in effect as there are likely eggs in the compost.

There is a chemical option, Provado Vine Weevil Killer. Seems to work as I have used it on a citrus a couple of times. You have to soak the compost all the way through - it is not a light watering. Think I got mine at Wilkinsons, as it is not used often it will sit in a cupboard for a long time. Also as it is generally for plants in pots there is less contention for it's use - it is not going on open soil.

I suspect that cutting could well not survive being uprooted, washed and replanted, so the Pravodo may be the more appropriate approach.

[Two_Sheds]

I transplanted some strawberry runners down the allotment... so it's probable they're infested too.

Vine weevils are much less of a problem in open ground, because there are more predators around that will eat the eggs & grubs.
You can often find the adult weevils halfway up a brick wall after dark. I find them when I'm doing my routine slug patrol by torchlight, and crush them.

As for eggs & grubs in your pots & containers: replace the compost, then use nematodes in the spring, as others have said


As with any pest, it's got to be a combination of solutions, there isn't a magic bullet

[Penellype]

I get vine weevils. Last year I dug up my everbearer strawberries which were in an 18" square pot, and transplanted them to smaller pots, mainly because the fruit was getting lost in the middle of the big pot and going mouldy. The soil was full of the distinctive white grubs with brown heads. I'd found the odd adult but not realized I had a problem. Later I dug up my raised log roll bed and replaced it with a new raised bed, because the log rolls were rotting. Again the soil was full of the damn critturs. I picked out as many as I could find, but it was impossible to remove them all and I wasn't about to ditch about a cubic metre of topsoil!

The good news is that the plants I have planted in that soil, treated with nematodes in spring and early autumn, have grown really well. These include rhubarb, potatoes, peas, raspberries and broccoli. I haven't really noticed any problem with the plants at all. The strawberries, which I transplanted without washing the roots, have grown fine.

So, remove as many grubs as you can, keep an eye on things, and treat them with nematodes when the weather warms up in spring. You'll then almost certainly need to keep using the nematodes to keep the population down, keep an eye out for adults in the warmer months and kill any you find, and watch fro grubs when you transplant things. Its also a good idea to change the compost in your pots completely at least every couple of years, and sooner if you suspect a problem.

I hope this helps.

[VolesAteMyPeas]

Thanks so much everyone for your replies. I'll try repotting established plants in new compost after washing the roots and see what happens in spring. A couple of the blackberry cuttings that have taken will be put straight in down the allotment, again after I've washed the roots. The rest are going! And I am holding a nightly patrol in the back yard. Those things are blummin hard to kill- the shells are like reinforced steel of something. Impossible to crush. I'm drowning them in water infused with fag buts and washing up liquid. Nice! I'll be keeping an eye on the strawberries on the plot already planted.