Little white bugs eating plant roots. How do I get ride of them?

[BusyBee]

Are they vine weevil? They've killed two of my heuchera plants and a lemon cypress. I was able to lift the top of the dead plants straight from the soil by a single leaf because there were no roots attached and there were these tiny little white larvae attached to them.

How do I get rid of them? Should I replace the compost in the two pots? Is there a way to get rid of vine weevil and the larvae without using harmful insecticides?

 

[Owdboggy]

Basically no. You can buy nematodes worms which eat the vine weevil grubs, but they only work when the soil is warm enough for them and they die once there are no more weevils to eat.
Sadly even the chemical route is not that effective either the most common one used kills bees which is not a good thing.
Very sorry, I have been fighting them for 40 years now.

 

[Tetters]

This has been an increasing problem since suscon green was banned several years ago. I have found that the best thing to do is NOT plant anything that is of particular interest to vine weevils. I'm afraid that heuchera is at the top of the list for the perishing things. I don't even consider growing them here any more.

 

[BusyBee]

This has been an increasing problem since suscon green was banned several years ago. I have found that the best thing to do is NOT plant anything that is of particular interest to vine weevils. I'm afraid that heuchera is at the top of the list for the perishing things. I don't even consider growing them here any more.

That's so disappointing! I love the look of heucheras and planned on buying more this year before I saw those awful little grubs! I'll be ditching the compost in the affected planters and replacing it soon.

 

[Tetters]

If you have vine weevils you will be wasting your money. I learned the hard way. Nematodes are good, but the treatment is not cheap and I believe needs repeating. The vine weevil is a clever if vile predator, They breed faster than rabbits! The only way to kill them manually is with a hammer and a few expletives. They pretend to be dead if they see you coming - let you pass by and then scuttle off waving two fingers.

There's no need to ditch your compost, the weevils will like the new stuff just as well. I would empty it out and either squash the bugs as you find them or leave them for the birds to have. Then you may as well put it all back minus the bugs.

 

[Tetters]

Do the bugs look like this?

Do you have leaves looking like this?

 

[BusyBee]

View attachment 94510 Do the bugs look like this?View attachment 94511 Do you have leaves looking like this?

I didn't see any leaf damage like that, but plenty of those bugs! I went to deadhead one of my heuchera and pulled the whole top of the sad-looking plant right from the dirt with no roots attached. Those things are horrible!

 

[BusyBee]

If you have vine weevils you will be wasting your money. I learned the hard way. Nematodes are good, but the treatment is not cheap and I believe needs repeating. The vine weevil is a clever if vile predator, They breed faster than rabbits! The only way to kill them manually is with a hammer and a few expletives. They pretend to be dead if they see you coming - let you pass by and then scuttle off waving two fingers.

There's no need to ditch your compost, the weevils will like the new stuff just as well. I would empty it out and either squash the bugs as you find them or leave them for the birds to have. Then you may as well put it all back minus the bugs.

Would it not be better to guarantee that there aren't any in the compost by complete replacing it? I don't plan on planting any more heucheras again!

 

[Owdboggy]

I have been known to spread the compost out thinly and run the flame gun over it. If you have birds in your garden which eat grubs then spread the compost out on the ground, thinly and leave it for a day or so. It should then be clean. Primulas, succulents, Fuchsias, Hydrangeas, Begonias and many others are all food for v.w.s. Only Dianthus seem to be left alone here.
Replanting. It helps if you cover the soil with a1.5 inch deep layer of thin gravel (5 to 7 mm stuff.). The eggs are laid on the soil and if it cannot find the soil it does not lay the eggs. Single stem plants can be protected by a circle of plastic'roofinf felt like cabbages are against Cabbage root fly. But still put the gravel on top of that as well.

 

[Tetters]

Thanks for that @Owdboggy - most certainly worth a try !! Actually, hydrangeas would be good to practise on, they are so easy and quick to propagate.

 

[Owdboggy]

Also use a non-peat compost as they love peat. Not that any of us are still using peat!

 

[Tetters]

Also use a non-peat compost as they love peat. Not that any of us are still using peat!

I would if I could get it.

 

[BusyBee]

Also use a non-peat compost as they love peat. Not that any of us are still using peat!

All of my composts is peat-free, but there are still loads in it.