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Vine Weevil
Pamela14
Posts: 54
Hi all! I have just emptied a trough and found many vine weevil grubs in it. I have been checking the soil and squishing any grubs I found this afternoon (quite theraputic!). It seems a shame to throw away the soil and I was planning on spreading it on an empty bed that won't be planted up till the end of May. Is this a great way to spread the problem around my garden, or are they likely to be eaten or die before I use the soil again?
Many thanks
0
Posts
Spread the soil out on a plastic sheet and let the birds have a go. If it was me I would then apply Vine Weevil Killer (to be sure to be sure) before tipping it onto ane mpty bed. I'd dig it in a week later.
If you are not into killing bees by using Neonicotinoids (Vine Weevil Killer) then spread the soil out thinly and go over it with a Weed Wand (Flame gun type thing) or try as we used to do, using a steam wall paper stripper. It sterilises the compost very nicely.
Berghill, do you mean that the weevil neonicotinoids kills bees? Ive never head that before
You could microwave it, should zap any lurking unhatched eggs too.
Yes, Provado and other nicotinoid-containing products are now strongly believed to be a cause of colony collapse in the honey bee and the cause of damage to other pollinating insects.
http://www.occupymonsanto360.org/Occupy,Monsanto,GMO,Genetic,Engineering,Modified,Organism,Food,Sustainable,Local,Locavore,Organic,RoundUp/neonicotinoids/
http://gardenofeaden.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/imidacloprid-provado-and-threat-to-bees.html
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks for all that information everyone! Has anyone used nematodes, and if so, did it work?
Thanks!
There is a concern that neonicotinoids cause bees to get disorientated and lose their way back to the hive. However, treating pots with Vine Weevil Killer is highly unlikely to impact on bees. The main impact is when chemicals such as Provado Ultimate Bug Killer are sprayed directly onto plants, especially onto flowers when bees are active. also Vine Weevil Killer contains a neonicotinoid, and if applied to the soil in a pot holding a flowering plant, a small amount could be carried up the pollen. However, in the situation I suggested here, what are the chances of it finding its way into pollen after being strewn onto an empty bed and dug in...... well, I think Berghill is being rather dramatic.
Oh NO.....I will not be using them then. I had used it once but had no idea what damage it was doing.
I use it on valuable camellias in pots, watered into the compost, in autumn, to protect against vine weevil that can kill the shrubs before I know they are under attack. Nematodes won't work at that time of year, so there is no alternative, and there is little or no possibility of any impact on bee health when applied at that time, at least as far as I can see. I no longer use Provado Ultimate Bug Killer on flowering plants.
having said that, I don't want to pick an argument with absolutists who won't use any non-organic pesticides or insecticides under any circumstances. I admire their doggedness and principles, and feel just a tad guilty every time I reach for my glyphosate or fungicide.