vine weevils on Pitcher Plant
Quick answer
If your Pitcher Plant has vine weevils, the most likely cause is: The nocturnal Black Vine Weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) is the most threatening pest of Sarracenia pitcher plants, because the adult weevils lay eggs in the compost and their larvae eat the rhizomes and roots and later progress to the leaves; the grubs tunnel into the rhizome, causing the plant to suddenly collapse as if it had been over- or underwatered, and infested Sarracenia rarely survive once the rhizome is breached.
Start here:
- 1. Lift the Sarracenia from its pot, slice open the root ball, and dig out any white, C-shaped grubs with a sharp knife before they tunnel further into the rhizome.
- 2. Drench the compost with an insecticide or biological control in late summer or early autumn to kill the grubs while they are still in the compost and before they reach the rhizomes.
Why Pitcher Plant gets vine weevils
Pitcher Plant
The nocturnal Black Vine Weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) is the most threatening pest of Sarracenia pitcher plants, because the adult weevils lay eggs in the compost and their larvae eat the rhizomes and roots and later progress to the leaves; the grubs tunnel into the rhizome, causing the plant to suddenly collapse as if it had been over- or underwatered, and infested Sarracenia rarely survive once the rhizome is breached.
How to reverse vine weevils on Pitcher Plant
- 1
Lift the Sarracenia from its pot, slice open the root ball, and dig out any white, C-shaped grubs with a sharp knife before they tunnel further into the rhizome.
- 2
Drench the compost with an insecticide or biological control in late summer or early autumn to kill the grubs while they are still in the compost and before they reach the rhizomes.
- 3
Quarantine any new Sarracenia that has spent time outdoors, inspect the root ball on arrival, and avoid moving the plant between outside and inside without checking, because the flightless adult weevils must walk from plant to plant and can be intercepted at the nursery stage.
Keep vine weevils off this Pitcher Plant
Quarantine new Sarracenia introductions and never reuse unsterilised compost; a preventive drench in late summer for plants that have been outside keeps Black Vine Weevil grubs from reaching the rhizome in the first place.