AT A GLANCE
If you discover feeding marks on the leaf edges of your hydrangeas, then they are probably infested with vine weevils. The small black beetles eat the leaves while their larvae tamper with the roots. With natural methods such as excelsior, nematodes, neem oil or simple collection, you should combat the infestation early on before the hydrangea dies.
Which bugs can colonize hydrangeas?
Beetles on hydrangeas are usually so-called vine weevil. The brown beetles, about one centimeter in size, love thick-fleshed leaves like those of the hydrangea. However, the beetle is not choosy and also eats numerous other ornamental and crop plants.
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Are vine weevils harmful to hydrangeas?
vine weevil eat them leaves of hydrangeas. The leaves nibbled around the edge they don't look particularly nice anymore, but in most cases they don't really harm the hydrangea.
It is different with the larvae of the beetle. These live in the soil around the hydrangeas and feed on their fine hairy roots. The larvae can thus cause considerable damage to hydrangeas, as they have difficulty absorbing water and nutrients with damaged roots. The result can
How to get rid of hydrangea weevils?
A common, but quite tedious method of fighting the little black ones pests is this collect. In the evening you have the best chance of catching the nocturnal beetles.
Another option is wood wool. If this is distributed under the pot and around the hydrangea, the vine weevil likes to hide in it. If you are quick, you can collect the shy beetles there relatively easily during the day.
To combat the larvae of the beetle, the use of is recommended nematodes. The nematodes are distributed in the pot or in the bed around the hydrangea with the irrigation water, whereupon they kill the larvae of the vine weevil.
Also neem oil can be used against the bugs. The oil is poisonous to the vine weevil. If you spray it on the plant, it can absorb the oil and become unattractive to the pests. Since neem oil also kills nematodes, you should not use these two methods at the same time.
Tip
Leaves with holes indicate other pests
Vine weevils eat cavities in the leaf edges. If, on the other hand, you see signs of damage in the form of holes in your hydrangeas, this is more likely to be an infestation with caterpillars or snails.
