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[xChicken04x]

Hi guys, I'm really worried.

 

About a month ago a friend of mine gave me four strawberry plants, which of course I was delighted with. I left the plants outside for about 2 weeks until I got round to planting them, in a old wheelbarrow that I'd painted. As I went to ease the plant out of the pot, I noticed several white maggots. After several moments of shrieking and cringing I picked them out and chucked them in to the girls run (they were then suitably scoffed.) I then proceeded to plant the strawberries without a second thought.

 

Flicking through a garden magazine I saw a picture of the maggot that was in my strawberry plants, vine weevil . I'm really gutted, as I obviously don't want them to eat my crops.

 

I think I got them all out, I'm still worried. Luckily my common sense told me to throw away the pots they were in etc. I'm going to dig the strawberry plants out tomorrow and look for any more. But they have been in the wheelbarrow for about 2 weeks now, so do you think it's too late and all my crops are goners?

 

How can I kill any larvae? Should I take the plants out and pour boiling water over the compost?

 

Please HELP!!!

 

UPDATE

 

Well, I had a dig around and pulled the strawberry plants out and soaked them in water (tip- this gets rid of the vine weevil eggs, if you fully submerge the plant in the water then the eggs will float to the surface) and I found two more grubs *shudder* but I really looked right into the root system and couldn't find any more. I was going to use the vine weevil killer today, but reading the instructions it clearly states to not use it near any food stuffs. Do you think strawberry plants are classed as food stuffs?

Edited April 19, 2009 by Guest

[Redwing]

You can buy nematodes for vine weevil, they are parasites that come in a sort of powder form that you dilute in water and water on, they will kill the weevil and protect the ground for a while

 

I would dig up the plants tommorrow and see if you can find any more and get rid of those by hand at least, the trouble is they get right in the roots so you may not be able to find them all

 

There are probably other treatments available - I just don't know what they are, sorry

[xChicken04x]

Thank you SO much for your help Redwing, it's very much appreciated.

 

I will pick up some nematodes either today or tomorrow, depending on what shops are open.

 

I'm still really gutted. Pretty much all of my crops are on the patio in pots, very close to the strawberries, so I'm worried about the vine weevil spreading.

I think I got all of the maggots out, as I really rooted about and gave a thorough search. They may not have had a chance to lay eggs yet, or it they have, they might not have hatched yet (she says optimistically.)

 

Do you think I should pour some boiling water over the compost (taking the plants out first of course)?

[Christian]

Try www.organiccatalogue.com for vine weevils nematodes. Horrible little things *shudder*

[chickenanne]

They have different life stages: they go from egg-> maggoty grub root eating yukky thing-> pupae -> fly. It's the flies that lay the eggs. So until/unless the grubs pupate into flies then it won't spread from one pot to another.

One consolation: at least they're in pots and not in your garden soil.

[Valkyrie]

They love fuschias - lost so many to the little monkeys. I was turning out an old pot and found some grubs in there, so in dived the girlies. Hah take that you pests! Thing is the beetle's outer wing/shell/exoskeletony whatsit is so strong it takes a good stamp on it to squash it. Definitely the nematodes for me.