IN THIS GUIDE
In this article , we ’ll explore the common garden pest vine weevil , so you read it a little good .
We ’ll discuss why these dirt ball can be a problem and which plants might be sham , as well as what to do if you encounter this event .
What Are Vine Weevils?
The scientific name for this dirt ball isOtiorhynchus sulcatus.1Otiorhynchus sulcatus ( vine weevil ) . ( 2022).CABI Compendium.https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.38071
Extremely widespread and unwashed , it is a mallet that feeds on a wide stove of plants.2Vine Weevil . ( n.d . ) . NatureSpot . find March 27 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/vine-weevil
The adults of the mintage eat the leaves of plants during the spring and summer month , whilst the chuck are active over the fall and wintertime months , and feed on plant roots , weaken and sometimes even killing them altogether .
What Do Vine Weevil Look Like?
Adult vine weevils are just under 1 centimetre long.3Vine weevil ( Otiorhynchus sulcatus ) identification guide . ( n.d . ) . Natural History Museum . retrieve March 27 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/identify-nature/common-insect-pest-species-in-homes/vine-weevil-otiorhynchus-sulcatus-identification-guide.html
They are a dull black coloration , with smutty chicken sucker on their extension case .
Even if you do not spot the vine weevils themselves , you may see sign of the zodiac of their feeding .
When adult vine weevils have eat parts of a industrial plant , you will see on an irregular basis shaped mountain pass on the leaf margins during the summer months .
Vine weevils commonly grow to around 1 cm long .
If you have a container plant that wilts and you do not know why , it may be a result of these grubs eating the roots of the plant .
Remove the works from the pot and you will quickly see from the presence of the white grubs where this is the case .
mark – there are other weevil that can make similar damage as adult , but the other species are usually less problematic at the grub stagecoach .
Which Plants Are Affected?
Vine weevils , as mentioned above , feast on a wide range of plants , include but not limit to :
So they can be a finical trouble in an edible garden .
They can also be a problem in other parts of the garden , and some other plants particularly dissemble admit :
But remember , almost any plant can be susceptible , especially if it is produce in a container .
Organic Vine Weevil Control Options
Vine weevil can become a really annoying problem if their population get out of dominance .
As such it is best to do pre - emptively if possible , to head off the issue go on in the first place .
If you do meet this pest , it is something that you should be sure to get on top of as quickly as potential .
Each of the option below should be concurrently for the greatest wallop –
1) Boosting Biodiversity
As with most pest in an constitutive garden , the best way of life to deal with pests is to ascertain that the ecosystem is in balance .
In a balanced ecosystem , pest population are far less likely to contact worrying tier .
The route to achieving near balance in the garden ecosystem is simple – make certain that there is as much natural biodiversity as possible .
This means making sure that you include a diverse range of plants which interact beneficially with one another .
And itmeans attract as much wildlife as potential , and welcoming it into your space .
When it come to vine weevils , there are sure species that you will want to focus on appeal to your garden to keep their number down . piranha for vine weevil include :
make hedgehog home ground , hedgehog pathways and tunnels , and hedgehog home can attract these mammals to your garden .
You should also , of course , ensure that there are mass of insects around for them to eat .
divers planting scheme should also pull in other wildlife too , include other mammals and a range of birds .
A wildlife pool is large for amphibious aircraft , of class .
And you should be trusted to leave brush / log pot and other undisturbed country for beetles and other glitch .
When choosing flora for your garden , it is worthwhile consider that certain companion plants are anecdotally said to keep vine weevil forth from the plants that are susceptible to them .
Some the great unwashed say , for example , that alliums or embayment leave may help oneself keep them away .
2) Crop Rotation
In your veg garden , avoid growing plant susceptible to vine weevil attack in the same area year after year .
Crop rotation is a drill that will help to safeguard your crop from a broad reach of pest and diseases that can build up in the soil .
In particular , verify that you have a three or four year harvest rotation plan in place for brassicas ( members of the cabbage family ) , tooth root crop , Solanaceae ( tomatoes , potatoes etc . ) and legumes .
3) Manual Removal
If you have a problem with vine weevils in container grown plant , particularly if they are indoors or grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel , the above may not be a vast amount of purpose to you .
But that does not mean that you require to resort to uttermost measures to get the problem under ascendency .
Often , manual removal of the adults , by hand , is all that is take .
One mild eventide in bound or during the summertime , head out with a torch and take a unaired look at your plants and surfaces nearby .
just nibble off any grownup vine weevil you see ; shaking a shrub over a tabloid can permit you to free more from the plant that can also be collected .
you may also appear in hidey - hole ( beneath plant pots or beneath staging in a greenhouse or polytunnel , for example ) to find the hiding grownup in their daytime hideouts .
Sticky traps are also sometimes used to collect the grownup vine weevils from around containers or on the theatrical production in a greenhouse or polytunnel .
But deliver in mind that these can trap beneficial dirt ball life too – so for a healthy organic garden , they should really only be used as a last resort in extreme cases .
Of course , you should always scavenge out any containers or commode well , and can cautiously discharge or dispose of any eats that you encounter in compost or potting mixture .
4) Biological Control
In cases where there is a severe infestation , you may also wish to regard a biologic mastery .
The nematodesSteinernema kraussei , Heterorhabditis megidis , H. bacteriophoraandS. feltiaeare considered to be effective when used against vine weevils in containers or in the ground .
They are well applied when the soil or growing medium has arrive at the correct temperatures for the nematode to be good , and before the grubs are big enough to do any serious damage .
“ Vine weevil can be a major problem for plant acquire in deal in especial , ” says Colin Skelly , a Master Horticulturist .
“ I have had to tackle them in nurseries and in living wall systems . Nematodes work very effectively but only when the soil temperature is optimum and when the pot compost is moist .
“ Too cold , too hot , too teetotal and the populations will not establish and parasitise the vine weevil larvae . ”
This is normally in around August or September .
They are most effective in light , more friable soil and growing media , and can give poorer results when the soil is very dry , or very heavy .
It is also potential to buy a trap which contains a eccentric of nematode ( Steinernema carpocapsae ) .
These are placed below plants in the summer , and adults are killed when they participate during the solar day .
