In this article, we discuss the ways to eliminate and repel black vine weevils. These are pretty easy to implement if you follow them closely.
Garden pests are known to cause all kinds of damage to plants.
Such include chewing on leaves or foliage and drawing on plant sap. Such action results are seen chiefly in dying plants or those showing signs of stunted growth, among others.
Black Vine in the House
Overall, such pests aren’t good to have around.
Vine weevils are the pests we’ll be discussing here. These beetles can cause severe damage to your plants. You’ll need to act quickly to have a shot at ridding your garden of these pests.
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Symptoms of Vine Weevil Infestation
Often, it’s hard to tell what pest problem you have until you know what to look out for.
Vine weevils leave behind tell-tale signs of their presence. Such include irregularly shaped notches on leaf margins, damaged roots, and sickly-looking (wilted) plants.
In some situations, you may find or see vine weevil larvae during the inspection. You’ll need to consider your following line of action with all or some of these signs.
While that is true, symptoms may not be convincing enough as such may give mixed signals.
When faced with such a weevil problem, it’s best to call a professional pest technician to take a look. These pros have the expertise to identify a pest problem better.
Call Pest Control
Professional pest control services are readily available to persons who need quick and practical solutions to their pest issues.
This process begins with an inspection, which involves a thorough assessment to determine the cause of the problem.
With vine weevils identified, treatment is recommended and executed. It would help to choose who you hire for the job to have the best outcomes.
There are reputable pest control companies to patronize. To have a better shot at making the right pick, you’ll need to follow these essential tips.
Such tips include checking their credentials to see if they’re registered with relevant authorities. Also, consider comparing multiple quotes to settle for the best deal.
How many years has the company been in business? For the most part, the more experience a company has, the better.
Customer reviews offer an appreciable level of insight regarding the dealings of the pest management service. Here, you get to find information on what other clients think about the quality of service of a company.
Lastly, check for guarantees. This is crucial to making the right decision.
Natural Ways to Rid Your Garden of Vine Weevils
You have lots of options in your hands when it comes to vine weevil treatments.
These involve procedures such as mulch removal, introducing natural predators, applying diatomaceous earth, introducing repellent plants, and picking off these beetles.
Treatment strategies include using beneficial nematodes, sticky traps and regulating how often you water your garden plants.
Let’s look at some of these treatment strategies, shall we?
i. Beneficial Nematodes
Beneficial nematodes have proven to be highly effective in addressing various garden pest issues.
These can be introduced to help eliminate vine weevils. You must get your beneficial nematodes from the nearest store and use them as instructed.
These are non-segmented roundworms that feed on pests such as vine weevils from the inside. It’s a natural approach to ridding your garden of these destructive beetles.
Again, you’ll need to apply beneficial nematodes as instructed on the product label for the best results.
ii. Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring sedimentary deposit resulting from fossil remains of diatoms. Although it’s not poisonous, it affects pests like vine weevils uniquely.
Diatomaceous earth causes pests to die by dehydration.
This arises from the absorption of oils and fats into the bodies of vine weevils. What more? Diatomaceous earth particles have sharp edges that cause abrasion to the exoskeletons of these beetles.
This speeds up the process resulting in the death of vine weevils.
All you have to do is get this product and have it evenly sprinkled across surface areas where these pests have been most active or noticed.
iii. Introduction of Natural Predators
Natural predation has worked excellently for a variety of pest situations.
As part of the food chain, vine weevils attract other predators like shrews, frogs, toads, and birds. You’ll need to figure out how to accommodate these predators as they help with vine weevil control.
So, rather than trying to drive out these pests, you’re more interested in ensuring you maximize their presence by allowing them to stay around. The longer they stay, the less problematic your vine weevil problem becomes.
You may have to figure out the good from the bad guys.
iv. Using Repellent Plants
Vine weevil repellent plants can be introduced into your garden to aid the pushback against destruction caused by these beetles. There are lots of these plants you’ll need to research.
Examples include catnip, onion, bay leaves, and mint.
With these around your garden, vine weevils find the area less inviting. In other words, vine beetles have less incentive to be around.
v. Picking these Beetles off your Plants
A more direct way to deal with vine weevil presence is by having them picked off your plants.
While this can be effective, it can be painstakingly slow. A quicker way to get the job done will require placing cardboard or newspaper below each plant and shaking it to dislodge these pests.
Gather these and empty them into a sealable bag for onward disposal. Now, this approach only offers short-term relief. You’ll have to repeat the same whenever vine weevils show up.
vi. Mulch Removal
Another containment effort you can implement for vine weevil issues involves mulch removal.
This identifies the attraction of vine weevils to moisture hence the need to limit the amount of water in the garden. Through mulch removal, the condition becomes less favorable to these pests.
Vine weevils can be eliminated using any of the strategies discussed above. While all these techniques work, it’s best to have competent help from an experienced pest technician.