Grubs in tubs

[coccinelle]

I have been preparing tubs for pelargoniums and noticed big fat juicy grubs in the soil at the bottom of the tubs. I've taken them out but what are these things? If I didn't take them out would they eat plants I'd put into the tubs? Some tubs had them some didn't so where do they come from?

[boxtops]

what did they look like?

[Tilly2]

Are they earthworms? If so, just leave them.

[Ouzel]

They might be vine weevil grubs - if so get rid of them fast !

[hellywelly4]

They sound like vine weevil grubs - have you used old compost? They will kill your plants and spread into other pots.

[coccinelle]

I've googled vine weevil grubs and that's them. I'll now keep an eye out for the adult beetles in summer and get rid of them. Thank you so much.

[rojash]

Check your garden shed and loft for Aborigines. If they are hiding there, they may be cultivating witchetty grubs in your pots.

[coccinelle]

No Aborigines in these neck of the woods....

[hammerman]

Vine weevil larvae...and the vine weevil beetles are evil little scroates. You don't know you've got them until it's too late.

You can buy something called Provado vine weevil killer from most garden centres....do all the pots 2 or 3 times a year even if they're not showing signs of damage.

They absolutely love fuchsias and tuberous begonias among other things !!!!

[katerich48]

You can't afford to wait until they get to the beetle stage to kill them off - because by then they will have done all the damage to the roots of your plants...That's what the grubs live on while in that stage of developement...so they need to be killed off NOW!! Otherwise you will have absolutely no roots on the plants whose pots they're in and they will just die - They did a big Hydrangea of mine a calla lilly a fuschia... before I knew what they were ..I get the Nematodes to kill them - once I see the beetles and I know they've managed to get back somehow...They're evil personified and must be destroyed....

[coccinelle]

katerich, I have removed the grubs from the pots and put onto fire pile. What i meant is I'll keep an eye out for any adult beetles this summer so they don't have a chance of reproducing.