Nematodes v vine weeavel

[delsupserve]

I have about four weeks ago dumped a large planter full of seond year strawberries after suffring the dreaded vine weavel. Next to the strawberry planter was a potatoe planter so i ordered some nematodes and applied to said planter. This weekend i emptied my planter when no growth was visible. All there was at the bottom was mush with no roots on any of the tubers. M y question is do you apply nematodes as a preventive measure or at the first sign of attack, according to the insructions on the box it takes up to three weeks for the nematodes to infest the vine weevel. If thats the case the weevel would have desroyed your plants. I rooted through my spud bag and found dead redy/brown weevils so the nematodes do work. Would the nematodes survive in the soil without a food supply of weevils (nematodes are not cheap). Seems like a catch 22 situation to me. Anybody any veiws. Regards Mick.

[Germinater]

Yes they need the vine weevils to survive once they exsaust there food supply they will die .but they are only affective when the weavel are in there maggot stage ..

[Aberdeenplotter]

Nematodes are expensive but effective. Vine weevil seems to be very partial to strawberries for some reason and if you have a problem but want a crop, then you will have to shell out. I would personally try the nematodes for a couple of seasons and then try a season without as the problem may well then have been solved.

I used that strategy with slugs. previously keeled slugs decimated my potatoes and I can now grow them without a problem.