Vine weevils

I’ve already discovered vine weevil in my garden this year. Wondering why some polyanthus in a pot were looking wizened, I pulled at them to find they had almost no roots – a classic sign of vine weevil larvae munching away at their favourite food. A flick of the trowel revealed the grubs (cream coloured with rusty heads) squirming in the compost. Fortunately, there was an easy solution, I could throw away the compost and ruined plants, clean the pot and start again.

Vine weevil and its close relatives attack greenhouse plants and a few favourite outdoor plants, such as strawberries and other fruits, rhododendrons and (unfortunately for me) polyanthus. The weevils lay eggs in spring and summer, which hatch into larvae that feed before pupating and turning into more egg-laying adults (nearly all are female). Look out for notches on leaf edges caused by adults and wilted plants affected by larval root eating, then order biocontrol nematodes to control the larvae. You make the nematodes into a solution to water onto your compost. The compost should be moist and at least 14°C. To disrupt the lifecycle, this month and September are the perfect times to do this.