Richard Jones enough of your scaremongering please! My garden is very lush and none the worse for its 'infestation' of vine weevil. I am now more determined than ever to live happily alongside my vine weEVIL.
Lindy - I do that too. You need to keep on top of it though as any disturbance exposes the soil and then they can get in to lay eggs.
Dahlia lover - in various pots I grow honeysuckle, geraniums (cranesbill), heuchera, jasmine, London pride, hebe, clematis, campion, passion flower, hellebores, Japanese anemone, chives, clover, mint and oregano, and alliums. All are thriving. (For now??) Kate
I suspect we're all living with vine weevils in our gardens without really realising it. I wonder what it is about them in pots which makes them so deadly, but tolerable elsewhere? Perhaps plants get more of a root run in the garden which can stay out of harm's way.
I bent down to sniff a rose the other day and an adult vine weevil fell into my hand. Not nice, so it got squished!
Im sorry, but lm with all the anti Vine weevil writers,I hate them with a vengance as over many years they have caused havoc in my garden beds not just in my pots. This year they killed two lovely and expensive Acers l had in two large pots which didn't start to show signs of damage till it was too late! If l see any adults they get squashed!
Talking of evils - as per Dahlia Lover - I normally wage a full-summer war against red lily beetles & their grubs. But this year I saw only a few adults, mainly at the start of the season & have had a (whisper it) damage-free season - a 1st! I wondered whether the cold snowy winter followed by a warm dry spring had not been to their liking.
I hate vine weevils too but I'm determined to keep them under control without chemicals, and too much squishing! Remember, they are breakfast, lunch and dinner for lots of wildlife. Read Val Bourne's brilliant book "The Natural Gardener" for some great advice about vine weevils, other pests and what I believe is the perfect way to garden in harmony with nature. She's even persuaded me to appreciate one species of slug - because it's cannibalistic!!
I too, really hate vine weevils, they munched through my 20 pots of strawberry plants last year and killed the lot! I have been plagued with them again this year and have found them climbing around potted raspberry plants, so I'm afraid I've squished the adults before they can rain havoc on my garden. I like the idea of putting large stones around the potted plants, so will give that a try around the strawberries in pots. The lily bulbs are going out in the bin next week, I'm also tired of the lily beetles.
Chalkweed, you have my sympathy, I lost six of my precious heucheras to the vile vine weevil grubs. This is the first time it has happened to me in 50 years of gardening. WAR has been declared on the beasties!(just not sure what ammo/tactics to use)
Thanks Christine. I think my frogs are keeping the evil weevils in check. I daren't touch the slugs and snails either - even their eggs - as I worry the frogs will go hungry!
Yes Kate, I know where you're coming from. It's all about accepting a wee bit of plant damage and acheiving a balance between predator and prey. Earlier this summer I was panicking about earwigs eating my dahlia flowers but I let them be and now I'm delighted to see hedgehog droppings around the garden, with bits of earwig exoskeleton in them! I've created a simple, wildlife dinner plate in the garden - just a paving slab where I pop (literally!) slugs, snails and their eggs! They're all gone in the morning. We'll be moving house next year and a wildlife pond is top of our wish list. Who needs artificial pest control when you've got lots of "critters" in your garden?
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Unless you squish 'em, your garden is dooooomed.
Lindy - I do that too. You need to keep on top of it though as any disturbance exposes the soil and then they can get in to lay eggs.
Dahlia lover - in various pots I grow honeysuckle, geraniums (cranesbill), heuchera, jasmine, London pride, hebe, clematis, campion, passion flower, hellebores, Japanese anemone, chives, clover, mint and oregano, and alliums. All are thriving. (For now??) Kate
I bent down to sniff a rose the other day and an adult vine weevil fell into my hand. Not nice, so it got squished!
But this year I saw only a few adults, mainly at the start of the season & have had a (whisper it) damage-free season - a 1st!
I wondered whether the cold snowy winter followed by a warm dry spring had not been to their liking.
Has anyone else had this experience?