Vine Weevil

Vine wevil or root aphid? Have you checked?

 

The beetles can fly so they could have come in.

You can use a systemic bug spray and I think nematodes.

Have you got a mouse? Mine used to love the grubs

 

I remember reading that vine weevils prefer a peat based compost, which is why they are often found in containers. So the JI3 should slow them down a bit.

 

IME, Nigel, they are just as prevalent in JI compost @fat controller, if you use nematodes, try to make sure that the minimum temperatures can be respected...it's throwing good money after bad if not!

 

sorry Zigs they cant fly

 

Hi FC
i have the same problem I grow too many plants that they like , my sedums and heuchera and like you the whole of my strawberry tub last spring .

What I do to attract them is have bait begonia pots placed around the garden which they really like and in the Autumn the compost is disposed off
I also wash with a hint of bleach in the water and air dry the begonias , it does really help keep the numbers down but it only takes one they lay hundreds of eggs.

 

oh never has there been more loathsome a creature as the vine weevil we had them in biblical proportions for a number of years, the majority of the plants were in pots & the vine weevil's just had a field day! (they are a real menace to potted plants) the last straw was when they absolutely destroyed my mums lovely big Gooseberry bush, that was it...it was all out war after that first thing we did was discard most of the old compost and replant as much as possible in fresh compost mixed with our clay topsoil (its true what @NigelJ says you'll get weevils in any soil but they do seem to have a real preference for crumbly peaty type compost) next we cut a circle out of weed suppressant membrane to fit the tops of the pots snuggly leaving zero gaps for female weevils to gain access to the compost nor newly emerging weevils to escape! we weighted it down with white gravel (which looked awesome btw ) we don't use any chemicals of any description in our garden so after that it was nematodes all the way! it must have worked because the next year there was very few and even now years later i only ever find the odd few

 

goodness gracious that turned into an essay

 

It's nematode time of the year again

But what should I do with the adults? Is it waste of time to try to get rid of them? Barrier glue would keep me and the family happily occupied until Christmas as we do have quite a few pots. (Apparently I'm offering a kind of oasis for the little buggers. )

Has anyone found bargain nematodes? This is where I get mine, excellent service but a bit pricey.

Or, can I grow my own? I guess it would make an interesting looking aquarium in the living room, but hey- living rooms are meant to be an overflow space for the garden.