Deliver us from Weevil!

Ornamentals be on alert! July and August sees the arrival of the hungry Black Vine Weevil. Learn how to protect your landscape from this prodigious pest.

With their beautiful, waxy leaves and lush, evergreen hue, it’s no surprise that rhododendrons are the ornamental plant of choice in millions of American gardens and landscapes. Unfortunately, though, wherever you’ll find rhododendrons, you’ll often find the Black Vine Weevil too.

These hungry insects simply adore rhododendrons – although they won’t pass up feasting on Aster, Wisteria or any of a hundred other plants, shrubs or trees if their favorite food isn’t on the menu.

July and August are when Black Vine Weevils are at their worst – and you’re most likely to spot them attacking plants and shrubs on your landscape. Although the little black bugs do the worst of their work at night, you’ll be able to tell if you have a weevil problem by the tell-tale u-shaped notches they chew into the foliage of your favorite plants.

Black Vine Weevils attack your plants from two fronts. The adult weevils lurk in the debris and loose soil at the base of your plants. In July and August, they’ll lay eggs which soon turn into hungry larvae that start feasting on your infested plants roots. Very quickly, even the hardiest ornamental can yellow, whither and die.

There are various ways to protect your landscape against Black Vine Weevils. The first is to isolate any infested plants as soon as you spot that they’re under attack. This is fine for potted plants and shrubs in tubs, but not so practical if your plants or trees are rooted in the ground.

A natural way to defend your plants against Black Vine Weevil grubs and larvae is the use of predaceous nematodes – practically microscopic worm-like creatures that actively kill the Weevil grubs. These do nothing to protect your plants from the adults, but may reduce an infestation.

For the best results, consult a pest control or tree and landscape specialist like Aspenn Environmental Services. They can formulate an insect control treatment to reduce or eradicate your Black Vine Weevil problem.

Aspenn also incorporate treatments as part of their year-round Integrated Pest Management solutions – which stop problems before they begin by preemptively treating for common garden pests before they have the chance to cause an infestation.