Our son was so excited to spot this Vine Weevil in one of his plant containers. Unfortunatetly though, a vine weevil is a common garden pest and is especially bad news for container gardeners like us.
About Vine Weevils
- A vine weevil is a member of the Curculionidae (true weevil) family. There are more than 500 species in the UK.
- The adult vine weevil feeds of leaves and plants and do minimal damage to plants. You may notice small notches in a semi-circle shape around the edges of leaves that they have been feeding from.
- The grubs however are a garden pest and can cause a lot of damge to plants especially during Autumn and Winter.
- The larvae lives underground and feeds of the roots of plants which causes the plant to wilt and die.
- The grubs themselves are small, about 1cm in size. They can be hard to notice so the damage to the plant is often done before you even know they are there.
Characteristics Of A Vine Weevil – Otiorhynchus sulcatus
- Vine weevils are about 9mm in size and are matte black in colour with orange patches over their wing cases.
- Their wing cases are fused together so they cannot fly.
- They have a pear shaped body that is bumpy and ridged in texture.
- They have a long nose called a snout.
Where can you find Vine Weevils?
- Adult Vine Weevils are widespread in the UK and are most active from late Spring to Summer.
- Vine weevils can be spotted feeding on foilage during the night or hiding in a dark place during the day.
- They can affect over 200 species of plants including, Camelias, Rhododendron, Strawberries and Hydrangea.
For ideas on how to control Vine Weevils in your garden please visit RHS.org.uk
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