Grow Your Own Magazine

I have a courgette which was growing well in a pot and then one of the leaves went yellow and started to die so i decided to pot it on before planting out and when i pulled it out of the pot i saw a little maggot looking thing. I remember hearing something about these eating roots of plants in pots so i killed it, but i am wondering if there will be more than one and where did it come from? it was compost from a bag that i potted it in, and i looked as best i could for others, will they spread and what can i do?
hope you can help!

If they were white sounds like vine weevil but not sure. They eat the roots of plants and are usually found in pots. No doubt someone else on here will know more than I do as Im just a beginner.

thanks, my wonderberry plant was doing really well, and i potted it on and its going the same way now, could the weevils have come from the compost? shall i take it out the pot and have a look?

I would you need to have a good look and take off as much soil as you can it may be too late

YES!!!! without a doubt the vine weevils can come with the compost. White with brown head...they are a real pain in the neck. I would be straight down to the supplier with my hand out. However it is possible to have a resident population. There will no doubt be some in the garden under shrubs etc

Indoors Strawberries are notoriously prone -as are primulas and heuceras. The adults are around in summer and the grubs the rest of the time. So unless it is a long term plant ie not a courgette.... i'd definitely be suspicious of the compost.

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Paul

While i have been digging over new plot in garden i have found some white fat grubs similar to a caterpillar with brown heads, what are they???

They do sound like the dreaded vine weevil grubs to me. Take all of the soil off, and have a good look, there's usually more than one. They will kill your plants if left. Repot your plants with fresh compost and keep well watered. You may be lucky. Any you find, leave them in a deep stainless steel bowl, similar to one of those dog bowls, and let the robin help himself. he will thank you for it with a healthy nest of young'uns.

how big are these things wondering if i've seen them.

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I'd rather regret the things i've done than regret not doing them at all.

Yuck sounds vine weevil grubs, squish instantly, get rid of plant and check others for any signs.......when you see the adults squish them aswell. Destructive little beasties but a satisfying crunch under the wellies.

PS they are about a half inch big, creamy with a brownish head, adults look like beetles so b careful!

Vine weevil quite small 10mm normally found in pots or under strawberries. You'll know cos you just lift a plant off the soil and the roots will have been eaten!

They are more likely to be chaffer grubs that you found. They are the larvae of the Maybugs. Also eat roots and are common in unbroken grassland. There are cople of equally ugly different sorts. The way to catch them is to leave and overturned turf on the bed and they will collect underneath. Then leave them on a bit of plastic for the birds ..they just love them.

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Paul

Hi there

Unfortunately last year and this one already I have become a bit of an anorak on these little pests, when my Lettuce went down like Sevenoaks in the Great Storm! But seriously, I was finding these critters every time we dug up grass, they have a caramel coloured head and several little legs by the head and pincers, long white fat body. When you cut through black guff comes out and to think ITV fly people to Australia to eat them. Yeuch! Most definitely chafer grubs. You can buy Nematodes to kill them, however, because it's associated with grass you end up having to buy a big box of £30. Failing that do as the person above suggests or as I do which is to slice and dice every time I see them.

O.

If slicing don't get the black guff on you as it smells like sewage.

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Paul

I have decided to get rid of a spotted laurel that i have had for 3 years and seems to have come to a stand still,it is in a pot,while i was getting it out i have found about half a dozen of these little creature,s, white with a brown head. Should i just get rid of all the compost that the plant was in.
I actually killed an adult vine weevil two night,s ago, but i had just bought a standard fucshia and thought it might have come from that. I have treated all my fuschias with a doze of provado already.

I love gardening but as soon as i see spiders, slug,s snails or vineweevils etc i just freak out, yuk