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Vine weevil infestation

little Polllittle Poll Posts: 49
in Problem solving
Can anyone recommend a soil cleaner for a vegetable Trug that has had a problem with vine weevil.
I have removed all the cabbages where we noticed large collection of eggs, which along with notch eaten leaves suggested vine weevil.
The Trug is now completely empty. We had success with early carrots, red onions and some beetroot. We had two of the little pointed cabbages before going on holiday and although we had a friend watering they weren’t asked to check for insect damage.
When we retuned we noticed leaf notch damage and on further checking we saw the eggs. Most of the eggs were tucked deep in the leaf bottoms. I removed the cabbages, with sheets of news paper tight around the cabbage stems to catch any eggs that might fall and them took the cabbages with a complete soil and root ball. I looked carefully at the soil around where the root ball had been but only found one or two eggs but there could be other I didn’t spot, so I need to clean the soil before using next year. 
I’m intending to grow a green manure in the Trug over winter, which I dig back in in the spring so I have a month to clean the soil, any suggestions welcomed.
Thanks 
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Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Unless you can actually identify the culprits no one can advise on control.
    did you pick out lots of cream coloured grubs,  are you sure they’re not slug or snails eggs?   Vine weevil lay their eggs on the soil, not the plants. 
    If it were vine weevil, your plants would topple over as the grubs eat the roots so you just lift the plant off the soil. No root. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    Hiya. I’ve dealt with vine weevil for the last few years and have never seen the eggs. They’re teeny tiny and go into the soil. 

    The notches they leave look very similar to those left by other beasties like slugs and snails. 

    You’ll not really know until spring next year when any eggs that have been deposited in the soil turn into grubs. 

    If you’ve left any plants in there you could go out on an evening and look for the adults (use a torch and be quick as they will often fall into the soil if they think something is coming for them). 

    I would err towards slugs/snails. A late night visit would be beneficial. 
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    Oh and there would be no way to clean the soil that I’m aware of. 

    If it IS VW eggs then they’ll hatch next spring and turn into grubs. You can get nematodes that kill them but they only work above a certain temperature. 

    The only other option would be chemicals but that would mean no veg to eat. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Need photos. As the others have said - you wouldn't see vine weevil eggs and they lay them on the soil, which is why a layer of gravel can often help deter them. More likely to be slug/snail, or moth eggs, especially as it's cabbage.

    You wouldn't 'clean' the soil, you'd use fresh stuff.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • little Polllittle Poll Posts: 49
    Hi Lyn, thanks for your reply. These were not snail or slug eggs which are held together in slimy bundles. Also no trails into or around the Trug. 
    Looking at the life cycle I may have caught it just in time. Eggs first and then lava, I had them in my dahlia pots a couple of years ago. I stopped growing dahlias in pots.
    Thank you 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You must have very good eyesight. They're less than 1mm in size.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • little Polllittle Poll Posts: 49
    Thank you all for your suggestion, I have been busy looking up all the egg photos on google. I haven’t found a match yet and because I carefully removed all plants and top layer of soil, I can’t supply photos of the problem. 
    I was so keen to remove the problem!
    I think I will try nematodes, it’s still warm enough for them to be effective and I can dose again in early spring. 
    Thank you for your help.
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    Yeah I struggled with a magnifying glass! 

    Grit! 

    Every pot I have now has a covering of grit and I’ve not lost a plant since!

    Can you take a picture of the eggs? 


  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's an expensive way of treating the problem, when you don't actually know what the problem is  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    Fairygirl said:
    It's an expensive way of treating the problem, when you don't actually know what the problem is  :)
    Yeah I guess. I’d love to see the eggs though. Five years and I’ve still never seen any despite being riddled with the buggers. 
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