Vine Weevil

Hi Guys,

When do the grubs start doing their damage? One of my hardy fushias started looking sickly and has suddenly fallen fallen over I have tried packing in some more compost around it to hold it up but it looks unhappy. I am hoping I can save it and didn't necessary want to go through the hassle of repotting. I wondered if the dreaded VWs could be to blame? there are no marks on the leaves but there are a couple of bites out of the leaves of a fushia just a yard away from it. (My mother brought this round I will not be best pleased with her if she has brough some VWs with it as well!)

They are in the shade and in my wisdom I thought I'd put them on the patio with the rest of my pots in the sun - hence if they are VWs I have probably now just spread the problem around. I guess I know the answer dig it out and have a look for the beggars.

Honestly I can't turn my back for five minutes, I have just got my snails and aphids under control and now I have black spot on my roses, holes in the leaves of my roses and clematis (cuplrit no yet known) clematis wilt and floppy fushias. Well I guess it's all part of the fun :D

[ 03. August 2007, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: elliegreenwellie ]

 

I take it that you feed and water them when needed EL?
Are they in plastic pots? They need watering a little more than terracotta pots, as the roots can bake in the plastic ones because they don't breath as the afore mentioned.

 

Wrong way round, Fonzie! Terracotta pots lose a lot of water through evaporation through the sides of the pot, plastic ones only lose water from the top. Plastic pots can get much hotter though, which will inhibit root growth.
It doesn't sound too good for your Fuchsia elliegreenwellie, maybe watering in vine weevil killer might help, if it hasn't gone too far.

 

Thanks Guys,

Yes Fonzie I give them lots of love, when I have time (which won't be till next sunday!) I will take it out of the pot and see what I find. I assume the VW grubs will be big enough to see?

 

I don't think you have anything to lose by knocking it out of its pot. Water it and slide it out. They are white grubs with brown heads. You only need to have brought a single one in to get an infestation cause they don't need to mate, they practise virgin birth!

 

Thanks Geoff, I will be having words with my mother for bringing me infected plants. I have had two plant donators to my new garden this year, one who's gave me bind weed and the other vine weevil! I think I'll stick to garden centres in future!!

 

Are you kidding? I did not have vine weevil until i bought a single potted fuchsia from a local garden centre to brighten up my greenhouse several years ago and I have had them since. Every susceptible plant now has to be grown in special compost with an additive.
No one is safe from the dreaded vine weevil.

 

Geoff you are scaring me now!

I will definately make some time on Sunday to hunt them down!

 

Ellie are you sure its vineweevil you have, best way of checking is to go out with your torch and see if you can spot them at night, this is the right time of year for cutworm they are dirty looking caterpillars off noctural moths and feed at soil level usually shearing through the plant stem, if you dig round the plant carefully you can usually find them and dispatch them , if you have a lot you can use Rotenone.

 

If the fuchsia is falling over its not vine weevil adults cause they take out notches in the leaves. If its the grubs they will be eating the roots below the surface and the first sign is the plant starts wilting when things get warmer. Second sign is that the plant has no roots at all and becomes deceased. So knock out that fuchsia and look. If its wilting something is going on at the roots. It may even be overwatering, in which case repotting it won't do any harm.

 

Hi Geoff,

It started wilting then kind of leaned over, It was actually looking much happier yesterday when I saw it. I am not sure it's VWs as I haven't seen any and hope it isn't I was wondering what time of year you saw this kind of damage from the grubs to establish if it could be a cause, I guess I just need to investigate and take it out of its pot.

Thanks again xx

 

Try Provado (see Google) for vine weevil, the weevil/beetle is like a black beetle with a long snout, cannot fly and apparently walks from container to container, signs are irregular notches cut in the edges of leaves. Sinister bit is the grubs who munch on the roots of affected plants, not noticed until too late. It seems the long route is repotting in fresh compost or treating with something which kills the grubs. Knowledge comes from an affected collection of 20/30 potted Hostas. One treatment applied two years ago? and no appearance of Evil Weevil since - touch wood!

 

Provado only lasts a few weeks so you may have been lucky and got the entire infestation. You are right about them walking so if you had susceptible plants in a greenhouse you could put them on the staging and paste something on the legs of the staging as a barrier - grease perhaps?
I use composts that include Suscron Green but that wears off after a couple of months. There is a new additive called Vineol, or something but that is expensive. They don't sell it in small quantities, but it is supposed to be good.
When you knock the plant out of the pot do it into a tray and if there are vine weevil grubs throw all the compost away in a bin. Wash the roots of the plant. You don't want to take any risks with this pest. Once they get established it is lot of hard work to keep them under control.