How To Identify And Control Vine Weevils: Stop Them Destroying Your Garden Plants

Vine weevils, also known by their latin name Otiorhynchus sulcatus, are one of the relatively few insects in the UK which can actually KILL your garden plants! So if you want to keep your garden plants alive, it’s crucial that you can recognise the damage caused by both vine weevil adults and vine weevil larvae. In this video, I share the plants which are typically attacked by vine weevils and show you how to recognise vine weevils across their life cycle - both the adult and larval stage of vine weevils. It is important to be able to recognise the typical shallow notches and channels at the edges of plant leaves which are the result of the adult vine weevils feeding on the leaves. I also show you how to identify the small ‘c’ shaped vine weevil larvae or grubs with their cream bodies and brown heads. These vine weevil larvae cause the most damage to your plants, munching through the roots of the plants, weakening them and eventually killing them. To finish, I summarise and discuss three different options to keep vine weevil populations in check: chemical or pesticide options, biological control nematodes, and hand removal of larvae from soil or potting mix. I recommend you focus on controlling and treating vine weevils in potted garden plants, as these are most susceptible to vine weevil attacks. My personal preference is to use ‘Nemasys vine weevil killer’ as it is an environmentally friendly and effective treatment for vine weevil larvae. Please note: My opinions stated in this video are my own and I have not been paid to sponsor any of the gardening products I mention in this video. When applying and using any gardening products, please remember to follow the directions on the product label. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 Why worry about vine weevils? 00:40 How to identify adult vine weevils 01:33 Which plants do adult vine weevils eat? 01:58 Identifying feeding damage on leaves from adult vine weevil 03:29 How to identify vine weevil larvae 04:36 Treating vine weevil larvae - Chemical control 05:19 Treating vine weevil larvae - Biological control nematodes (my preferred option!) 06:17 Treating vine weevil larvae - Hand removal 06:31 What you should now know about vine weevil treatment 🔎 Useful science links: Vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species... Otiorhynchus armadillo Otiorhynchus armadillo is very similar to the more common vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus), but O. armadillo is larger (adult females reach 1.5cm in length), has a broader body shape, and no tooth on the front femur and has very long antennae. In South West London where they were first discovered in 1998 the species is now more common as a plant pest weevil than the common vine weevil. https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species... Otiorhynchus weevil ID guide https://quelestcetanimal-lagalerie.co... An article discussing potential harm from use of acetamiprid insecticides: Is acetamiprid really not that harmful to bumblebees (Apidae: Bombus spp.)? https://link.springer.com/article/10.... 🎶 Music: "Vibing Over Venus" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... "Lobby Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... 📸 Image of adult vine weevil: By WanderingMogwai - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...