Cabbage Weevil Article in latest TKG mag

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maureenc

Interesting to see this research in print Johnboy and Sarah (Old forum postings 27th July 2005).

Could I add a word of warning to those who did not follow the saga at the time:

Standard Enviromesh will not keep these pests out because they can burrow through the smallest of holes and they are very determined. Extra fine Whitefly mesh (as per sample from Johnboy) may work but it would need to be in one piece, cover the plants completely but not touching them and go down into the ground all around. The slightest gap or hole and they will get through it. Fleece would need to be very thick and would probably be too hot for the plants because our infestations occurred July/August.

Hoovering had only limited success and there was the problem of how to dispose of those that did not "roll up and play dead". Sticky traps caught a few but the ready made versions cost a fortune and cardboard covered with goo was usless when wet.

Bifenthrin can only be applied once and the pests arrived daily and in their hundreds from 24th July until 8th August, so also not much use.

The samples which we sent to Johnboy and which he so kindly analyzed showed that there were several varieties of the weevil present. Between them they destroyed all of my brassicas this year.

The plants were in four separate raised beds, none of which had been used for bassicas before. All of the beds had been covered with Enviromesh from the start.

Maureen