Many many thanks to "Freddies Dad" (who unfortunately seems to have deleted their account). "Freddies Dad" suggested placing a thick layer of stones underneath the shrubs. This we did, and combined with cutting the ravaged shrubs down to 9", it appears to have solved the problem! Look at the photograph of the same shrubs that were originally posted.
So here is the method we used:
1. Cut down the shrubs to approximately 9 inches.
2. Remove bark chips and dead leaves from the surface of the soil.
3. Sprinkle "Fish, Blood, and Bone" evenly all over the surface of the soil.
4. Gently add a 1 inch to 2 inch layer of small rounded stones to the top of the soil. It's important the stones are small, but not so small a weevil could push them aside and burrow through them, and that the stones are rounded so that they fit together to create the impenetrable barrier. Then with the palms of the hands gently press the stones downwards to make the layer of stones as densely packed and impenetrable as possible. The stones used in concrete are very good for this purpose, grey and natural and unattractive, and at £1.50 a large bag a considerable number of bags is not too expensive.
5. Distribute water evenly over the stones with a watering-can rose, and wait.
In the spring we were delighted to see shoots pushing their way through the leafless trunks of the shrubs. Once these shoots have attained about 5 inches in length, we have been nipping their ends to encourage further shoots. So now we have healthy "fluffy" green bushes, already attractive to see.
So how and why has this worked, particularly when the rest of our street is again, as last summer, severely afflicted with vine weevils? We believe the answer is as follows. Vine weevils are programmed to avoid tasty shrubs which are planted in mediums in which the weevils cannot lay their eggs. Vine weevils are programmed just as slugs and all animals are programmed in different ways. Slugs know to keep hidden during the day, and vine weevils know that their needs to be accessible soil beneath a shrub before munching of leaves begins. The weevils have continued to climb up the sides of our planters, but they observe the stones and "know" they cannot get through the stones to hide at night, that their eggs won't be able to penetrate through the stones, AND that their young will not be able to emerge through the stones after they have hatched. So the weevils simply turn back and go elsewhere!
Unfortunately we did not use the above method on an adjacent ivy due to the weevils having chosen to completely avoid that ivy in previous summers, and so this year all the visiting weevils went to the ivy, saw there were no stones there, and proceeded to wreak havoc! But that's another story, and I'll post about it shortly.
Once again, many thanks to "Freddie's Dad" - who saved us from having to replace all our shrubs.
I think next year you’ll be in the same boat, you’re piling on manure and fertilisers all that’s doing is making bigger plants with no room for the roots. So youre forcing them up and then have nowhere to put them. One in each container is pushing it! Don’t know who said about them best growing in manure , mine are in a rubbish bank, but plenty of room to put down roots.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
There's masses of volume inside those containers, Lyn, and all is well. Of course if we were let the shrubs develop into trees, then it would be a different story!
Please explain why have said that next year we will "be in the same boat". This year's "boat" involves the happy eradication of all weevils. There's curently no reason to believe that the weevils will return next year, is there. I think I am correct in thinking you have not read what the issue has been in this case.
Hazel, thank you. Yes, we have learnt an extraordinary amount about these frightful creatures. In case it's of interest to you or anyone else, below is the page from which the most helpful information available about vine weevils is to be found.
However, despite all the helpful facts provided in the pdf, which can be downloaded from the above page, there is no mention in it of "the barrier method"! "Freddies Dad" knew about it obviously, and now we do, and it is working extremely well. I admit that we have felt no guilt whatsoever knowing that this year all those dormant little hatchlings that wintered in the soil of our pots struck an impenetrable barrier when the temperature rose and so did they, to feast and dine, but they then found, to their horror, that they could not get through the stone ceiling! Oh, how the poor little things must have died in their hundreds! The screaming of the poor little mites was unbearable! No. No guilt at all.
I have a very bad infestation all over my raised beds. They are destroying everything. I think they are also out the front too. Did the nemotodes not do anything?
MayLane, use google to search re. a University of Swansea study which found that a significant portion of nematodes in each pack are dead upon arrival. Discovered this after we'd spent a lot of money buying many packs and applying them as directed. The nematodes may have consumed some of the larvae but absolutely not all. We know this because one shrub died, we pulled it up, and were aghast to find a dozen or so healthy wriggling white hatchlings in the soil - despite several applications of nematodes! If you google Michael Heseltine's estate and 2016 (I think) you will find that he held a summit of professionals there re. the wine weevil scourge and the sad FACT that there is currently nothing certain on the market available to ordinary folk like us to kill them. There are a couple of effective expensive pesticides available but which are only available to nurseries etc. It's impossible to buy them without a license.
Are your raised beds for vegetables? If so, you can't use the stones-barrier method, can you.
They are full of shrubs, trees and perinneals. They are eating everything but love 4 dogwoods, honeysuckle and firethorn. Im worried that the summit said a 100 can turn into a million in 2 years. Do your neighbourhood shrubs die?
Well done for finding the summit info! Yes, indeed, they multiply like nobody's business. For the last two summers we were out every night shaking the weevils off, snapping them up in toilet tissue, and squeezing them flat . . . because each weevil killed means scores of eggs not being laid. If your raised beds are only decorative then use the stones barrier method. It's worked here. All the other shrubs in the streets which the weevils like are in a sorry state but none have died. Mind you, the street only became infested 3 years ago, so I don't if the shrubs will hold on, after being so badly eaten leafwise and rootwise each year. Some shrubs they adore, and those leaves are like lace.
Got about 70 more tonight. Its a new estate and im wondering whether the land and them already. Ill take a walk tomorrow.
Im away for ten days and am worried what they will do to the leaves in that time. They are devouring things quickly and have started on the jasmine. We did find a resident frog on our hunt.
Posts
So here is the method we used:
1. Cut down the shrubs to approximately 9 inches.
2. Remove bark chips and dead leaves from the surface of the soil.
3. Sprinkle "Fish, Blood, and Bone" evenly all over the surface of the soil.
4. Gently add a 1 inch to 2 inch layer of small rounded stones to the top of the soil. It's important the stones are small, but not so small a weevil could push them aside and burrow through them, and that the stones are rounded so that they fit together to create the impenetrable barrier. Then with the palms of the hands gently press the stones downwards to make the layer of stones as densely packed and impenetrable as possible. The stones used in concrete are very good for this purpose, grey and natural and unattractive, and at £1.50 a large bag a considerable number of bags is not too expensive.
5. Distribute water evenly over the stones with a watering-can rose, and wait.
In the spring we were delighted to see shoots pushing their way through the leafless trunks of the shrubs. Once these shoots have attained about 5 inches in length, we have been nipping their ends to encourage further shoots. So now we have healthy "fluffy" green bushes, already attractive to see.
So how and why has this worked, particularly when the rest of our street is again, as last summer, severely afflicted with vine weevils? We believe the answer is as follows. Vine weevils are programmed to avoid tasty shrubs which are planted in mediums in which the weevils cannot lay their eggs. Vine weevils are programmed just as slugs and all animals are programmed in different ways. Slugs know to keep hidden during the day, and vine weevils know that their needs to be accessible soil beneath a shrub before munching of leaves begins. The weevils have continued to climb up the sides of our planters, but they observe the stones and "know" they cannot get through the stones to hide at night, that their eggs won't be able to penetrate through the stones, AND that their young will not be able to emerge through the stones after they have hatched. So the weevils simply turn back and go elsewhere!
Unfortunately we did not use the above method on an adjacent ivy due to the weevils having chosen to completely avoid that ivy in previous summers, and so this year all the visiting weevils went to the ivy, saw there were no stones there, and proceeded to wreak havoc! But that's another story, and I'll post about it shortly.
Once again, many thanks to "Freddie's Dad" - who saved us from having to replace all our shrubs.
Don’t know who said about them best growing in manure , mine are in a rubbish bank, but plenty of room to put down roots.
Are your raised beds for vegetables? If so, you can't use the stones-barrier method, can you.
Im away for ten days and am worried what they will do to the leaves in that time. They are devouring things quickly and have started on the jasmine. We did find a resident frog on our hunt.
I'll order stones in when im back.