VINE WEEVIL
Plants growing in pots or other containers, out of doors or under cover, can be severely affected by vine weevil grubs. The adult vine weevil beetles feed on the foliage of many herbaceous plants and shrubs, especially Rhododendron, evergreen Euonymus, Hydrangea, Epimedium, Bergenia, Primula and strawberry.

Plants growing in the open ground are less likely to be damaged, although the grubs sometimes kill strawberries, primulas, polyanthus, Sedum, Heuchera and young yew plants.

You can tell if vine weevils are killing your plants by spotting irregular-shaped notches on leaf margins during the summer were they have been munching!

Adult have a pear shaped body and are black and just under a cm long. They hide in dark places during the day and are slow moving. They can't fly but they can crawl and climb well.

Far more serious is the damage caused by the soil-dwelling larvae which are plump, white, legless grubs up to 1cm (0.5in) long with pale brown heads. These feed on roots and also bore into tubers and succulent stem bases, devastating many herbaceous pot plants. They can also kill woody plants by gnawing away the outer tissues of the larger roots and stem bases. Plants wilt and die during autumn to spring as a result of grubs devouring the roots.

TO CONTROL

As vine weevil beetles tend to lay eggs in late summer and early autumn it pays to protect vulnerable plants in pots – such as begonias, fuchsias, cyclamen and sedums – with Bio Provado Vine Weevil Killer. A wide range of pests can be controlled by spraying with Ultimate Bug Killer (both available from St Bridget Nurseries' Garden Centres).

As a Devon Wildlife Trust Approved garden centre, St Bridget Nurseries would rather recommend biological controls. Encourage natural enemies. Vine weevils and their grubs are eaten by a variety of predators such as birds, frogs, toads, shrews, hedgehogs and predatory ground beetles. Alternatively the biological control microscopic pathogenic nematode (Steinernema kraussei) can be used.

For further advice ask one of the St Bridget Nurseries plant experts.