Biological Vine Weevil Control

[ArdfearnAli]

Hello there,
                I have been doing a bit of research into non chemical vine weevil control due to the withdrawal of most of the chemicalrol  controls and thought I'd pass some info on. I

I use a commercial biological control called MET52 which is a naturally occurring vine weevil fungal disease that attacks the larvae if they come into contact with a spore and kills them within 3 days which then respore and redistribute the fungal disease.  It seems to be working very well. It

[Palustris]

Sounds good. £47 per kilo by the way.

[John85]

One kilo is enough for 100 m2 or two cubid meter of potting compost

[Steve Garvie]

Is there an outlet where this can be purchased by the general public?

[David Nicholson]

Has Provado gone?

[Palustris]

https://www.lbsbuyersguide.co.uk/
They sell it , but you have to be registered to buy it.
Saw Provadod Vine Weevil Killer on sale in a Garden Centre yesterday, so not withdrawn.......yet. But it seems likely that it will be if its Bee damaging properties carry on getting the publicity it deserves.
Having said that Monsanto are bigger than the EU in money terms so they can probably blackmail the powers that be into not banning it, as they did with Aminopyralid weedkiller.

[Steve Garvie]

https://www.lbsbuyersguide.co.uk/
They sell it , but you have to be registered to buy it.
Saw Provadod Vine Weevil Killer on sale in a Garden Centre yesterday, so not withdrawn.......yet. But it seems likely that it will be if its Bee damaging properties carry on getting the publicity it deserves.
Having said that Monsanto are bigger than the EU in money terms so they can probably blackmail the powers that be into not banning it, as they did with Aminopyralid weedkiller.

Thanks!

Are Monsanto official FIFA sponsors?

[johnralphcarpenter]

Nice one!

[Anthony Darby]

I always used this company: http://www.defenders.co.uk/pest-solutions/biological-vine-weevil-control.html

[Palustris]

Defenders do not seem to sell MET52 though, from what I can see. They sell the nematodes.
This makes interesting reading. Note the temperature range for effective use.
www.dejex.co.uk/PDFs/dejex-supplies-met52-fact-sheet.pdf

[johnw]

Ali  - It would seem there are different strains of MET52 for different pests - used since 1879 I've read.  Which one is rated for vine weevils?

The nematodes work well if you can keep the soil evenly moist in summer and early autumn, an impossibility here with tree roots about.

john