Vine weevil

[jeremyf]

Is there a way to control Vine Weevils for edible plants. I have some raspberries and blueberries in pots which are rapidly dieing and found the little grubs around the roots.

Any Ideas

Jeremy

[jeremyf]

[tim]

Put this on the Pests board & then talk to http://www.defenders.co.uk/ .

[dingerbell]

I have a friend locally who grows organic Blackcurrants and Raspberries commercially. His perfect cure is to allow chickens to run freely in the fields. No Vine Weevils and superb free range eggs ;D

[Palustris]

Apart from the nematodes and hens there is a way you could try if your bushes are single stemmed rather than multi-stemmed.  Obviously you must re-pot in fresh compost after washing the roots clean AND round the stem about where it emerges from the soil. That is where the eggs are layed by the adult. When the plant is replanted then put the sort of plastic mats used for protecting brassicas from Cabbage root fly round the stem , making sure that the plastic fits as snugly as possible right up against the stem at soil level. Then cover this plastic with at least an inch of fine grit (5mm stuff). If the adult cannot find soil on which to lay eggs then she does not do so, and they prefer to lay right next to the stem.