Vine weevil grubs.

Repotting some plants in the yard today and I found three of these horrible/destructive little things needless to say they found the bottom of my boot! :D

 

If I find any and I do at work, they end up as dinner for my Fire Bellied toads.

 

At the beginning of Spring we wondered why nothing had began to reappear in one of our troughs on the wall.....I got my man to have a closer examination.....and I'm so glad I asked him to look! The trough was riddled with them! It's the first time I'd encountered vine weevil grubs and I found them quite distressing! I had to go inside! Millions of the squirmy little things! He still winds me up about it :(

 

Hmmm horrid things aren't they ,i had them in two of my "Flamboyant Begonia Tubers" when i got them out in spring !

 

Usually I would expect more than 3. Are there any other susceptible plants in containers? I have to plant all of my primulas in a compost containing a deterrent.

 

I use armillatox, sold as an outdoor cleaner. It's a natural product made of soap. It does no harm to plants or soil. The female vine weevil lays her eggs may through june, which then go down to root level and munch. Armillatox does 2 things. it destroys the eggs and makes the roots unpalatable to the grubs. I rang the armillatox co. to ensure that, all though it can no longer be listed as it used ot be, there was no chang to the ingredients. All ok. it is still good stuff. check out the us web site for details on uses and doses.

 

Aren't they laying late summer as well? I found one single infestation last autumn. The deterrent only lasts 3 months and I had to water with a vine weevil killer.
With primulas you think all the plants in pots are fine until you notice one wilts a bit earlier than the others. When you tug it it just comes away cause it has no roots.