Our Strata Council's landscaper is recommending two expensive Root Weevil treatments per year (April and October) for our Yew hedges with nematodes. We treated once in April. The Taxus do not appear to be suffering from Root Weevil infestation. My question is: is this treatment really necessary?
Sounds odd to me. Root weevils are rarely a problem for shrubs. Usually, they're only a real nuisance in potted plants. I'd be suspecting he's trying to get extra make-work from you / your council.
Weevils can be and often are murder on outdoor plants here. How do the yews look, are the leaves heavily chewed?
Thank you for your rapid responses. We have several yew hedges. Only one seems to be a bit brownish and I suspect it's because of the direction of the irrigation which is squirting directly at it. We have just changed that. the other taxus seem to be established and show no signs that I can see of being eaten.
Just a thought. Before I went for expensive treatments I would wrap paper masking tape around the trunks of a couple of the sick trees-sticky side out-then smear with Tanglefoot on the tape. Check early in the morning to see if anything is caught in the goo. Root wevils live in the dirt and come up at night to dine. I have even seen fly strips wraped around the trunks in a similar maner. But I don't know if contact between the bark of the tree and the chemicals in the tape will do any damage. barb
| have seen weavils attack a number of shrubs in the Vancouver area, even those that the books say they don't eat! Weavils don't necessarily have to be attacking your Taxus if they are living in the root balls of them. Also, a Provincial entomologist told me that; "there are sixteen species of weavils here, in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver). They can travel a great distance at night to feed on plants in other peoples yards." In other words, "they could be living where you are but eating elsewhere." or vise versa. Dig around in the soil beneath a few of your Yews and look for eggs. They are round and off white and look like fertilizer. You can squish them in your fingers. Fertilizer will not squish. Taxus/Yew do not like wet feet. Moving the sprinkler was a good idea. Normally I would only apply the nematodes in the spring. They multiply in the soil if they are watered in properly. Did you check for damage then? We have alot of really educated professional landscapers and horticulturists around Vancouver. If your strata has exercised it's Due Dilligence and hired a reputable professional company, then you have no problem.
Thank you. Although our Landscaping Co. is dependable, honest and trustworthy, a second opinion for an expensive treatment like this is very useful. I will go out and dig around as you suggest.
