PesthighMar–Oct

Vine Weevil

Otiorhynchus sulcatus

This description was machine-translated.

How to spot it

The vine weevil is the larva of the nocturnal beetle Otiorhynchus sulcatus and causes the actual damage. While the beetle leaves typical, notch-shaped feeding marks on the leaf edges above ground, the creamy white, C-shaped larva feeds on roots and the root collar underground. Affected plants such as Rhododendron, strawberry, or Hosta often wilt surprisingly, even though the soil is moist, because the water supply no longer works through the damaged roots. In cases of heavy infestation, you can almost lift the plant out of the pot without any roots.

Prevention

Focus on loose, well-draining soil and avoid permanently wet, densely vegetated areas where females prefer to lay their eggs. Regularly check vulnerable potted plants by carefully searching the root ball for larvae and picking them off by hand. Beneficial organisms such as insect pathogenic nematodes, which are available in specialist stores, can be introduced into moist, warm soil starting in late summer to biologically combat the larvae. Using sticky traps or collecting the adult beetles off walls and containers at night additionally reduces egg laying for the following season.