Your post inspired me to go out each night on the hunt. I think I have found over 60 so far and the last couple of days some have been out in daylight on the walls. Last few nights I have had good success with shaking some plants over an upturned umbrella but am worried it's becoming a bit of an obsession! I am remodelling a lot of the garden in the autumn so will be searching for the larvae as I move plants.
It's amazing how many you can find when you know to look. I made the mistake (possibly) of putting grit around the base of all of my pots so I can't do the shaky/umbrella thing now. Apparently they don't like grit as it irritates their egg-laying pipe (disgusting I know). I'm wondering now if the ones I found recently had come in on new plants. I haven't seen any for a week and not noticed any leaf nibbles. The nematodes are in so hopefully they will take care of any weevil larvae. I have to water every day to make sure the nematodes stay alive. Keep me updated.
I only have 2 pots! I have found mine seem to go for the roses and a couple of days ago found some the other side of the garden heading towards the buddleia. I have several large clematis and found a good shake over the umbrella caught a fair few. I am in 2 minds whether to use nematodes over the whole garden later on or leave till next spring as I am remodelling most of the beds. I did wonder if a piece of landscape fabric or enviromesh with sharp sand or fine grit on top for my pots would make a difference. Planting a new rose in a pot in November so will give it a go. I would love to eradicate them as I would like to have heucheras again, but would certainly stand them in water for a couple of days first as I think that's where they came from.
Well if I was tucked up in bed at midnight I'd have missed a most magnificent moon. I also killed about eight vine weevils, dicovered a moth species I haven't recorded in the garden yet and spent some time admiring the hairy snails so all in all a good night to spend in the garden.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
I only have 2 pots! I have found mine seem to go for the roses and a couple of days ago found some the other side of the garden heading towards the buddleia. I have several large clematis and found a good shake over the umbrella caught a fair few. I am in 2 minds whether to use nematodes over the whole garden later on or leave till next spring as I am remodelling most of the beds. I did wonder if a piece of landscape fabric or enviromesh with sharp sand or fine grit on top for my pots would make a difference. Planting a new rose in a pot in November so will give it a go. I would love to eradicate them as I would like to have heucheras again, but would certainly stand them in water for a couple of days first as I think that's where they came from.
Yes! Please do try the fabric and grit idea. All of my pots are now fully gritted. Nematodes are hopefully still alive. I will have to use a chemical treatment in Autumn just for peace of mind (once the bees have gone). I found a dead one on the ground at the weekend and one floating in a measuring jug I use for measuring plant food when I'm watering. I've not found any live ones for a couple of weeks so I'm HOPING that I've finally managed to get on top of them. I have a cherry cola heuchera that is two years old and growing strong. Just bought three new ones so hopefully the grit and nematodes will keep them safe.
Well if I was tucked up in bed at midnight I'd have missed a most magnificent moon. I also killed about eight vine weevils, dicovered a moth species I haven't recorded in the garden yet and spent some time admiring the hairy snails so all in all a good night to spend in the garden.
I love that! I too have seen things I never would have had I not been out in the dark creeping about. Haha. My favourite remains the night a mouse poked its head under the gate. We both just froze...staring at one another!
My weevils are getting a head for heights! One on the landing windowsill and one 8ft up a wall. If my timing is right I find a few in procession heading for my flower beds. Count is over 100 now and still finding around a couple throughout the day and 5 or so a night plus the odd earwig and caterpillar, numerous small spiders and a bee. My garden isn't that big either. I am so focused on looking down into my umbrella that I am ashamed to say I didn't even notice the moon
It was a good moon last night. I stayed up long enough to watch it rise over the mountain at about 12:15. I only got two weevils in the wind and rain tonight but for the last couple of nights I've been finding loads. Less than last year though so it does feel like progress of a sort.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
I think we've hit peak vine weevil season now. Last night I killed 30-40 of them and they were everywhere. I still can't understand where they come from. Do they keep hatching out all year or am I just somehow missing hundreds of them every night? Sadly I found a couple on plants that are very susceptible to hosting the larvae so I imagine eggs have already been laid in those. I'm going to bin all my potted strawberry plants now and start fresh next year and try and reduce the number of things in pots before the winter. I'm not sure how much help this will be as they're obviously breeding quite happily in the garden soil.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
I think we've hit peak vine weevil season now. Last night I killed 30-40 of them and they were everywhere. I still can't understand where they come from. Do they keep hatching out all year or am I just somehow missing hundreds of them every night? Sadly I found a couple on plants that are very susceptible to hosting the larvae so I imagine eggs have already been laid in those. I'm going to bin all my potted strawberry plants now and start fresh next year and try and reduce the number of things in pots before the winter. I'm not sure how much help this will be as they're obviously breeding quite happily in the garden soil.
I have a theory that they prefer the warm, humid nights following a hot day. I have found a few each night this week after it has been hot (after a couple of weeks of not finding any when it seemed more like Autumn). You can read up about the "life cycle" of them but I've found larvae when there shouldn't have been any (in the cycle). I reckon the cycle is just a guide and it is driven more by the climate and weather/temperature locally. Did you grow your strawberry plants from seed or did you buy the plants? We bought a couple of strawberry plants last year and that was when I was finding lots of them each night so I'm wondering if they were brought in in the plants.
My wife said she saw a weevil in a pot by the front door. I never check the front of the house but found over 20 out there tonight but it's a lovely clear night with bright stars and an almost constant flashing of lightning somewhere on the other side of the mountain. We can't hear it but the light show is amazing. We even saw a really bright shooting star that left a trail in the sky above us. Last night an owl flew low and slow over my head then sat on the neighbour's roof and screeched at a distant rival for a while.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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I have found mine seem to go for the roses and a couple of days ago found some the other side of the garden heading towards the buddleia. I have several large clematis and found a good shake over the umbrella caught a fair few.
I am in 2 minds whether to use nematodes over the whole garden later on or leave till next spring as I am remodelling most of the beds.
I did wonder if a piece of landscape fabric or enviromesh with sharp sand or fine grit on top for my pots would make a difference. Planting a new rose in a pot in November so will give it a go.
I would love to eradicate them as I would like to have heucheras again, but would certainly stand them in water for a couple of days first as I think that's where they came from.
If my timing is right I find a few in procession heading for my flower beds. Count is over 100 now and still finding around a couple throughout the day and 5 or so a night plus the odd earwig and caterpillar, numerous small spiders and a bee.
My garden isn't that big either.
I am so focused on looking down into my umbrella that I am ashamed to say I didn't even notice the moon