What kind of maggots can that be?
There are countless species of insects that lay their eggs in the ground, where the larvae can then feed and develop themselves after hatching. We are now concentrating our gaze on species that can seriously damage your potted plants - because you usually don't need to worry about the rest.
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- Are those maggots in my lawn?
- Maggots in compost - how can this be prevented?
- What are these white maggots in the earth?
If you are looking for the cause of caring container plants on large, white, worm-like animals in the If you hit the substrate, it is most likely not maggots, but larvae of certain types Species of beetles. Maggots form a special group within the insect larvae: they are characterized by very little developed, naked body appearance without any limbs, not even a head capsule is with them educated.
Are the dubious inhabitants of your flower pot tall, thick-fleshed, whitish with a darker front (and rear) part and possibly with 3 pairs of sternum bones? Then you are probably dealing with the following pests:
- Grubs
- Weevil larvae
Grubs
as Grubs the larvae of the beetle superfamily are called Scarabaeoidea. Relevant species in our latitudes are mainly May, June and garden leaf beetles. Their larvae feed on the roots of living plants and can cause damage to the lawn, bedding plants and even potted plants.
Vine weevil larvae
The larvae of black weevils do not belong to the grubs, but also not to the maggots. The black weevil, which belongs to the weevil family, is a widespread and therefore feared pest in agriculture and in private gardening. Unfortunately, in addition to dead plant material, it also eats the roots of living plants.
What to do?
A potted plant infected by white grubs or black weevil larvae should first be removed from the planter and searched the earth for the pests. Do your research as thoroughly as possible and collect the guys. In the case of heavy infestation and plants with dense roots, you can use the water jet from your garden hose and, if necessary, rinse the roots completely free.
If the roots are very difficult because the roots are too narrow, you can also use predatory nematodes. The parasitic roundworms colonize grubs and weevil larvae, thereby killing them.