Are these Vine weevil?

Discussion in 'Pests, Diseases and Cures' started by mowgley, Mar 11, 2007.

  1. mowgley

    mowgley Total Gardener

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    Afternoon all

    After tidy around the garden this morning i came across these in my fuchsia pots. Are they vine weevils?
    [​IMG]
    Not a problem cause i took cutting in the autumn anyway :D ,but there we no roots left on the plant
     
  2. Kandy

    Kandy Will be glad to see the sun again soon.....

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    Yes Mowgley,they definetly look like the larva of the dreaded Vine Weevil,especially if the top of the head part is an orange colour.The fact that there are no roots left shows that they have been noshed by the larva.Just squash them.Don't even put them on the bird table as I found the birds didn't touch them.The eggs are even harder to see because they are even smaller.Having said that they should be turning into the adult females by now unless they are a late batch.Make sure you disspose of the compost in the dustbin and start again with fresh stuff.Normally one way Of knowing you have Vine weevils is the little cut out bite marks in the leaves...
     
  3. JarBax

    JarBax Gardener

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    Nasty little blighters! Hadn't noticed they were hairy before (though never look that close!) I do put them out for the birds - in a shallow bowl. I have seen blackbirds and starlings eat them, and watched a song thrush collect them for it's young - most satisfying!
     
  4. Daisies

    Daisies Total Gardener

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    I had some nice tubs with fuscia in and they were full of those critters. Couldn't bring myself to squash them so I threw them onto the flat conservatory roof for the birds but I obviously condemned then to a slow death in the sunshine!
     
  5. Palustris

    Palustris Total Gardener

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    Our hens adore them, both the larva and thr adults!
    Did you know that there a NO male vine weevils? Every single one is female.
    They lay their eggs up agains the stem of a plant and the tiny new hatchlings work their way into the soil. You can stop the egg laying around single stem plants by using a piece of plastic in the same style as is used to stop Cabbage root fly. Cover the plastic with a good inch of gravel and no eggs.
     
  6. kaycee

    kaycee Apprentice Gardener

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  7. kaycee

    kaycee Apprentice Gardener

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    Whilst you are checking out the Vine weavils keep and eye open for the Lilly beetles ,I had a couple around and as they are in pots near some Fuchias I will also check out for the weavils . They also like the leaves and they have appeared very early .But if trying to get them it is best to put some white paper around the plant in case they fall off the leaves.
    Tey are after all only red on one side and they nearly allways fall on the back and just show the black underside.
     
  8. Kandy

    Kandy Will be glad to see the sun again soon.....

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    Also Kaycee,they play dead like the Vine Weevil does :(
     
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