Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Weevil help...

Stephanie newish gardenerStephanie newish gardener Posts: 516
in Problem solving
Hello
I seem to have a weevil problem, which has kind of hijacked this thread here https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1044535/blown-cauliflowers#latest so I thought it best to link to it and ask for help here instead.
Looks like it could be some sort of rape or cabbage weevil, either on my plants or, more likely (I think, from circumstantial evidence) from a neighbouring field of rape. Google suggests it's too late to treat, so all thoughts are welcome. Photo for identification... These things either fly or jump quite well and are about 3mm long, not shiny so more likely weevil than beetle 

No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.  B) 

«1

Posts

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    Those are flea beetles. A major pest of Brassicas.
  • Stephanie newish gardenerStephanie newish gardener Posts: 516
    Palustris said:
    Those are flea beetles. A major pest of Brassicas.

    That was my initial thought on a first Google, but flea beetles are shiny and these are not. Just had another look this morning and the vast majority of them are on the outside of the netting, suggesting they've come from elsewhere as opposed to hatching on or near the plants.
    Don't know if this pic is any better

    No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.  B) 

  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    I vote for weevils, they look as though they have the proboscis and the antennae aren't long enough.  Aren't there weevil traps + nematodes that you can use in the summer? Happily not a problem I have had so no experience of these.
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Cabbage seed weevil I think. If you're not intent on harvesting seeds from any of the cabbage family then they shouldn't cause you much harm.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
    Definitely more of a weevil than flea beetles. I’m waging war on the latter and they are very different as you can so in this photo.
    Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
  • Stephanie newish gardenerStephanie newish gardener Posts: 516
    wild edges said:
    Cabbage seed weevil I think. If you're not intent on harvesting seeds from any of the cabbage family then they shouldn't cause you much harm.

    I wondered if they could be the seed weevil. The thing that perplexes me is they weren't there a few days ago, then the neighbouring rape field was harvested and now the weevils are as much on the outside of the netting as on the inside. I don't know how many either went into the netting with me yesterday, or indeed how many came back out and are now trying to get back in, but a big part of me thinks they came off the harvested field.

    The main question is whether I need to do anything about them. A number are sitting on the cauli heads and the broccoli florets too. Don't know if they will eat the crops before I can, but I'm hoping for the best!
    No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.  B) 

  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    edited August 2020
    If they are like the hollyhock weevil, they lay eggs in the undeveloped seeds of the flowers.. so that baby weevils have something to munch once they hatch.  You can go around with a loop of duct tape wrapped around your fingers, sticky side out, and stick some to that to dispose.  If they are after seeds, and since you pick the flower far before it blooms.. then you might be fine?  

    I think there is something like 97,000+ types of weevils, so good luck finding out exactly which.  😁
    Utah, USA.
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Palustris said:
    Those are flea beetles. A major pest of Brassicas.
    The ones in the picture have a proboscis.. not a leaf munching mouth.  
    Utah, USA.
  • Stephanie newish gardenerStephanie newish gardener Posts: 516
    Well I liked the idea of using tape sticky side out to catch weevils so I duly wrapped some round my hand and was feeling really pleased at getting dozens off the outside of the netting. I had attached some tape to the end of a fine paintbrush with a view to picking up the ones that were sitting on the cauli florets, but for every one I got stuck to the tape, another three or four dropped down from the leaves onto the florets. A lot of them went right down the side of the florets and so were totally inaccessible, and from what I could see, they were tunnelling into the cauli heads, or at least there were brown runs on the florets which looked like something had burrowed into them. There were very few to be seen on the leaves so I couldn't pick up many more that way.
    When I saw them on the broccoli florets as well, I caved in and stomped off in tearful frustration, wondering why the f**" I bother. I was about to write an unhappy rant on here when my 23 year old son rang, so I sobbed and moaned to him about the effing unfairness of such an effing big effing garden with an effing field of effing infested rape that unleashed an effing great swarm of effing weevils on my effing brassicas and why the eff did I effing bother with any of it.
    He said all the right things, told me what gits the beetles are, agreed I should definitely sue the farmer for my wasted time and effort and generally sympathised. 
    I have no idea if the whole crop is now ruined, only time will tell.
    I went off to weed some couch grass, got bitten by ants and midges so called it quits and went in to cook tea. A successful first-time cooking of a genuine paella and a glass of chilled white saw me feeling happier, but if anyone can tell me just why we effing well bother in the face of such effing adversity I'd be very grateful!! 
    Who'd be a bloody gardener???!!!!??
    Deep breath, calm thoughts, more wine, and remember that it's forecast to rain tomorrow so I can stay inside! 😣😬😟😫😵
    No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.  B) 

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    If it helps, because of the unusual weather over the last few years (which I suppose is the 'new normal') I now expect at least one or two types of crop to fail each year, so now I grow smaller quantities of a greater variety of crops, making the inevitable disappointments also smaller! :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Sign In or Register to comment.