CAUTION - Garden Weevil

Gerberas are hardy plants, and are generally not adversely affected by Insects, however, garden weevils have a particularly strong liking for gerbera flowers and can cause significant damage to them.

These pests are sometimes called vegetable weevils and strawberry beetles (although they are not beetles, even thought they look like beetles). These pests have a hard outer shell are nearly black in colour and are about 10mm in length. Their habitat is the top layer of soil or potting mix the gerbera plant is growing in.

They are rarely seen during daytime as they become active and feed at night only. When present, garden weevil leaves behind tell-tale evidence of their action by the holes and other damage to the gerbera flowers they frequent.

One method of control is to inspect flowers and their stems, after dark, using a torch, to catch and destroy them. They are not dangerous.

An alternative and more efficient and effective method of disposing of garden weevil is to add a suitable insecticide such as Zeus to your liquid fertilising programme.

If you find garden weevils on your gerberas act immediately as they will not go away of their own accord.

Contribution: Stuart Tindale