What's eating my pulses?

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What's eating my pulses?
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cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 05 4:28 pm Post subject: What's eating my pulses?
Down on the plot, the sheer number of little nibbles around the leaves of my pulses (peas and beans) and, to be honest, even my brassica seedlings, is quite disconcerting. Am I suffering from vine weevils? What's the solution?

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 05 4:42 pm Post subject:
Did you notice any vine weevil grubs as you were digging the soil? They are generally easier to spot than the adults. If they aren't already netted, birds would be my first suspects, though.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45434
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 05 4:44 pm Post subject:
It'd be nice to get pics of bugs (insects etc, not our own bugs) for the glossary

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 05 4:53 pm Post subject:
My peas have little nibbles on them too. They are in a mini polytunnel. Had a good look round for the culprit but no luck.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 05 5:46 pm Post subject:
I think I could get some pictures of garden pests and their damage as the season progresses. We often get nibbled leaves but it doesn't seem to affect the pea plant. It the cabbage rood fly I will have to battle with this year.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45434
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 05 5:54 pm Post subject:
Well, I'd love piccies of anything that could potentially go in the glossary

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 05 6:21 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Well, I'd love piccies of anything that could potentially go in the glossary

In case I've missed something, do we need pictures of anything in the glossary? Even, for example, something like nettles? If so I can certainly provide quite a few and it's something I'm thinking of spending a little more time on.

Is there a min/max size that's good? (Please point me in the direction of another thread if I've missed it)

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45434
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 05 6:24 pm Post subject:
Nettles would be good, in fact anything, there are very few photos in there. No hard and fast rules on image size but 160w x 180h would be the maximums I reckon.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 05 6:31 pm Post subject:
OK, I'll see what we can do. I'll concentrate on what we know and if anything special crops up run it past cab, you or others to make sure it's correct.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 05 6:57 pm Post subject:
Didn't see any larvae, but I have found some adults. The damage doesn't look like bird damage, the damage is too small and semi-circular if that makes sense.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 05 7:38 am Post subject:
Are the plants under cover? Otherwise it sounds a little early for them, to me, otherwise semi-circular does sound like vine weevil, Cab. Time to send for some Nemasys! Quick!

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 05 8:08 am Post subject:
They aren't under cover, but this is Cambridge, the city where things grow miraculously early. How good is nemasys against vine weevil?

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 05 8:11 am Post subject:
There are several Nemasys products: one is a specific anti-VW thing. I don't use it, because we don't get a lot of trouble from the little dears, but it is reputed to be good. Have a look on the Greengardener site. And good luck!

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 05 8:36 am Post subject:
Cheers, I'll look into it. I'd use a chemical pesticide if absolutely necessary, but it's a last resort.

gavin

Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 93
Location: Leeds, W Yorks

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 05 11:26 am Post subject:

If the damage looks like this, I'd suspect pea weevil

Did any of your pea seeds have tiny holes bored in them? They may have been harbouring over-wintering weevils.

Joy Larkcom recommends spraying with derris as soon as the problem appears - but if it's not too serious, the plants can grow through the first damage. But then I wouldn't save any of the pea crop as seed for next year!

All best - Gavin[/img]

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