Vine Weevils
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In todays newsletter, we’re going to be discussing the dreaded vine weevils and I’ll also be sharing with you how my latest Houseplant & Seed Swap event went…
Vine Weevils
If you have strawberries or heuchera in containers that haven’t been doing too well. I would highly recommend rooting around your containers and seeing if you find any of these delightful creatures pictured above lurking in your compost. These are vine weevils larvae and they are a destructive force of nature. I created a video explaining their life cycle & how to get rid of them. I also share the damage they have done to some of my plants and how I rescued them. Feel free to watch the video below or carry on if you’d prefer to read more about these beasts.
Life Cycle of Vine Weevils
Vine Weevils have 4 stages of their life cycle. Egg, Larva, Pupae & Adult. Adults lay the eggs in soil and the larva hatch and will start off eating organic matter in soil. Through June-October, as they grow larger they will begin munching on your plants roots and stems. They particularly enjoy eating strawberries and heucheras. They will then go underground and hibernate throughout Winter and will also pupate in May/April before emerging as adults.
The adults are beetles. However, they can not fly. Both adults and larvae are nocturnal so they can often be difficult to find. Their most renown ability is to fall and play dead. They can have mastered camouflage by blending in as soil. Each adult can lay up to 1000 eggs. They are also resistant to most pesticides
The most astonishing fact about these beasts is that they are are female.
How To Get Rid Of Vine Weevils?
There are a number of steps that you can take to get rid of Vine Weevils.
Search your containers/compost for them and unalive them
Search for them in your containers/compost, collect them up and feed them to birds, hedgehogs, frogs and other wildlife.
Nematodes
Nematodes
Nematodes are a type of parasitic worm that can be found naturally in soil. There are thousands of different species and they all have their own unique prey. Some have evolved to specifically target vine weevil larvae. The will hunt them down and attack them by entering natural body cavities. Once inside, they release a deadly bacteria that causes blood poisoning stopping the larvae from feeding, killing them and ending the life cycle of the vine weevils.
The soil needs to be the right temperature for the nematodes to work but they can be bought online and used as part of your preventative measures to manage these pests.
I will do a video in the future using nematodes and will show you the whole process. Have you had success or horror stories with vine weevils or do you have any tips of tricks? Share in the comments below!
To join my container garden workshop click the button below to get a discount and start making the most of your small space! :)
Houseplant & Seed Swap Event - March 25th
Once again, my houseplant & seed swap event continues to grow from strength to the strength! Such an amazing turn out for a cold rainy Saturday afternoon.
A massive thank you to our incredible venue Jacksons Boat , the fabulous Simone Riley & producer Ellie from BBC Radio Manchester for calling us live on air during their Saturday morning show to see how we were getting on and helping us reach a new audience.
Also a special thanks to my sponsor Recycle for Greater Manchester who were on hand offering us some discounts on compost bins, wormeries & sharing details about their community funding schemes.
I then headed over to RHS Garden Bridgewater to do a talk for Groundwork Greater Manchester to help inspire applicants of the Green Spaces Fund to think about how our urban green spaces can impact local wildlife & mental health.
Being a Champion for The RHS Big Seed Sow is something that I take very seriously. My event has been running for 1.5 years and has been a great way of meeting new people and exhanging knowledge. Seed swap events, gardening & nature are a great way of helping communities come together.
The next event will be April 22nd, 12pm-2pm at Jackson’s Boat in Sale, Manchester. Hopefully, I'll see you there ❤
