worm type bugs

[Waffler]

I pulled a deadish bit off one of my lupins waiting to be planted out (bought, not home-grown) and noticed there was a very live stem and leaf still on it, and since it seemed a bit of root was attached I was going to try it as a cutting. However, I noticed some tiny creatures IN and on the root; they were like mini worms but sort of opaque. I decided maybe the root was diseased and chucked it, but I was wondering what the little bug***s are - friend or foe?

[inca'smum]

Dont know what they are but I've found what sounds like the same thing, on some aubretia that i was thinning out today. I'll be interested to find out what they are too. Hope I dont have to put chemicals down, I haven't used chemicals at all in the garden, and don't want to start now.

[Protea]

Sounds like it could be Vine Weevil grubs - its common to 'pick them up' as it were from shop bought plants, lucky that you checked before planting them!

Did it look like the attached picture?

The RHS website gives further info: http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile...vineweevil.asp

[Waffler]

No, they were extremely thin, but short and almost clear; as they wriggled along they moved like worms, sort of contracting muscles, and I could see a dark/redish bit inside them (inards?) moving within the clear outer 'shell'. They were quite horrible! but only tiny.
If you have vine weevil grubs is there no hope? or can you water something deadly on to them.

[Protea]

Hmmmm....very bizzare, i don't know what they might be then - sorry!
The other options are leatherjackets (but normally found in grassland) and nematodes (but not normally visible to the naked eye), neither are very likely - don't suppose you took a picture?

If you have vine weevil there are a few products you can use to get rid of them - parasitic nematodes work well (and now is a good time to apply them), there are some treatments you can incororate into compost as well (or are premixed into compost), and there are liquid soil drenches containing thiacloprid (look in a garden centre).

The grubs are only 1cm long and if they are newly hatched they might look seethrough and thin?? The RHS link gives more info and examples of products.

[Waffler]

No - didn't take a picture - my camera's not good enough to show up those tiny things anyway.
I'm a bit worried about my lupins now though, as they were in the bit I pulled off, but may well be in the main bit aswell. The only thing is if they were in the 'dead' bit because it was rotting (weren't woodlice), but then, it could've been those that caused that bit to die... Hmm.
If anyone else has any thoughts, please let me know!

[momol]

Hi Waffler,

I noticed the same larva you have just describe, they seems to be chewing the roots! My seedlings were eaten up alive.they were all loosing their roots and their main stem too were eaten up to the ground level. It seems to be larvas of some small dark flies ( looks like fly, but I have no idea what that is ). It will be great if we could get rid of them... .

Momol

[Protea]

Of course! i'm such a twit - it could very possibly be Sciarid fly larvae: did it look like the larvae on this link: http://www.bio.scarletts.co.uk/Sciarid_Fly.html

If so - you could use a different parasitic nematode to control them - or several other natural predators. Nemasys is the nematode control, or Hypoaspis miles and Atheta coriaria. If the plants are already outside Nemasys is your best bet. the others are more suitable for glasshouse use.

Alternatively you could just ignore them - they shouldn't cause too much of a problem, especially if you threw the ones you found away!

[rustylady]

I'd agree, sciarid fly larva (also known as compost flies or gnats). The adults are the little tiny flies that hover above pots of plants. They don't do any damage themselves, but the larvae eat the roots of the plants

[Paulottie]

I'd say rustylady and Protea are right...as usual! They say don't leave debris around in the greenhouse. They tend to go for sickly and overwatered victims but if you only just brought them... go and get your money back?

[Waffler]

I've just taken the offending lupin out of the pot to examine it and I found 1 more wriggler in there (without looking anywhere near the main stem, so there may well be others). I rang our local garden centre and they don't sell nematodes (the girl that answered said "What is it? is it a type of plant?")
Where do I get them from? And if I do nothing, will my plants get eaten alive, or will nature take it's course if I just plant them out? What I don't want to do is plant them out then find they multiply and eat everything else in the border.

Help me please!!!

[momol]

Hi Protea,

They do looks a like ! They doesn't seems to be so fatal like what the web said, I lost some 10 seedlings out of 120. They seems to love my asparagus beans seedling. Thanks for the informations, I will try to look for the "good "
parasite.

Momol

[momol]

Hi Waffler,

I have been reading about sciarid fly info and found an interesting page :
http://www.hydroponics.co.uk/pests-and-diseases.htm
It give some extra informations about how to manage them. Hope it help.

Cheers,
Momol

[rustylady]

I've just taken the offending lupin out of the pot to examine it and I found 1 more wriggler in there (without looking anywhere near the main stem, so there may well be others). I rang our local garden centre and they don't sell nematodes (the girl that answered said "What is it? is it a type of plant?")
Where do I get them from? And if I do nothing, will my plants get eaten alive, or will nature take it's course if I just plant them out? What I don't want to do is plant them out then find they multiply and eat everything else in the border.

Help me please!!!

They're usually only a problem when the plants are in pots, I think once you plant them out into the garden they get eaten by natural predators or the plants can make bigger root systems. Then all you have to worry about is slugs, snail, caterpillars etc.