Control Black Vine Weevils Using Organic Methods

Gardening is a wonderful hobby. But, it can easily be made very stressful when your garden is invaded by pests that damage and kill your plants. Black Vine Weevils will attack your plants and can eventually cause them to die. Here are some tips to help you keep them out of your garden, using organic methods.

The adult black vine weevil is about one third of an inch long. They are oval in shape and will be brownish gray or black. There is a pattern of small yellow patches on their back. Weevil larvae are grubs that are fat and white. They are up to a half inch long and have yellowish brown heads. You will find them in the northeastern US and, also, along the entire west coast.

Black vine weevils are most likely to attack blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, and strawberry plants. They also like some ornamentals, such as azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, wisterias, and yews. The adults weevils will chew along the leaf edges. This leaves small, scalloped bite marks. The adults are not the worst part of the problem, however. The bigger portion of the problem are the larvae.

The larvae of the black vine weevil burrow into the roots of the plants immediately upon hatching. They will continue to feed for the rest of the season. During the winter, they will stay in the soil. This makes it very easy for them to resume consuming the roots of your garden plants when spring time comes. The feeding will stunt the growth of the plants and can kill the plants. This is because plants that are injured are more like to allow disease organisms to infect them.

Since they feed at night, you can knock the weevils off of the plants onto a sheet that is on the ground. If you do not wish to squish them, they can easily be dispatched by dropping them into a bucket of soapy water.

Another way to catch them is to lay boards under the plants, on top of the soil. Each day, check and see if there are any weevils hiding under the boards. They will find somewhere to hide during the daylight hours.

If the black vine weevils are attacking your ornamentals, try planting varieties that are resistant. If they have rolled leaf edges the weevils will not be able to get a grasp on them to feed.

You can trap the weevils before they get up to the leaves of your plants. Tie a six inch wide band of plastic wrap around the stem or trunk of the plant. Paint it with sticky trap glue and the weevils will not be able to get past it.

Birds and other predators love to dine on the black vine weevils. So, adding bird-friendly shrubs, birdbaths, feeders, and houses will attract birds and help control the weevils. You could also try putting up bat houses for a bit of help.

Pests can ruin an entire garden if they are not controlled. Hopefully, these tips will help you keep the black vine weevils from taking over and destroying your garden.