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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2006 9:19:17 GMT
Found this after a local garden centre told me it used to be a pesticide, but now is nothing but an expensive ' fairy liquid ' soap based cleaner. www.armillatox.com/ and wonder if it would be a cheaper way of controlling vine weevils than the expensive pravado, as it still seems to be usable for pests. Has anyone tried it ? Willow |
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Post by Chuckles on Oct 13, 2006 16:02:32 GMT
Not tried it willow, always use Provado in any pots that are prone to Vine Weevil or dispose of any badly infested ones. At night if I have the time I have been known to go out with a torch and T Bag squeezer hunting adults.
It sounds like you need to use quite a lot of it, fortnightly from Mid March to October and then monthly November to Mid March.
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Post by geronimo on Oct 14, 2006 20:33:59 GMT
I use armillatox for vine weavil. Yes it is used as a cleaning fluid, but it is also a moss killer, stops honey fungus spreading, controls black spot and is used as a disifectant as well as a multitude of other uses.. I don't bother with the very expensive provado, it only has one use. Armillatox is much cheaper per application, but it certainly has a strong smell, but it does work.
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Post by Chuckles on Oct 14, 2006 20:39:29 GMT
Mmmm might try some just for the pots with roses in  |
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Post by Juliet on Oct 15, 2006 18:14:07 GMT
Hi Willow, I'm a bit worried about this. Firstly, Armillatox was originally a fungicide and HERBICIDE, not pesticide - I'm not sure how safe it would be coming into contact with your plants. Secondly, Armillatox was banned a couple of years ago & it's now illegal to use it in the garden or store it with the intention of using it in the garden. The manufacturers got around a total ban by rebranding it as a household disinfectant. The person in your garden centre could get into serious trouble if they are still telling people it's suitable for use in gardens. www.rhs.org.uk/thegarden/pubs/garden0503/pesticides2.asp (further information, if you need it, if you click on the link to the Pesticide Safety Directorate website at the bottom of the page & search their site for armillatox). Juliet |
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Post by Chuckles on Oct 18, 2006 10:42:07 GMT
Found a quite badly effected pot the other day, it has now had a dose of Provado. It had Sedum in, one of their favourite snacks  Not been too badly effected this year with the dreaded things. How has everyone else done ?? Any new tricks for keeping them at bay ?? |
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Post by bagpuss on Oct 19, 2006 12:53:07 GMT
I am starting to put a dressing of course grit around the plants, as in theory this will put them off laying their eggs as apparently they won't like it. I will have to let you know how effective it is. I also tend to use the Pravado vine weevil killer.
I managed to rescue one of my geraniums that was quite badly affected by they grubs about a year ago, by cleaning up the root and getting rid of the worst bits, and then putting what was left in some water which I had soaked a cigarette in (apparently it's a very good insecticide for non-edibles). I am pleased to say that the geranium is still going strong!
As for the Vine Weevil, when spotted I normally rush indoors and grab my battery powered bug swotter, which basically electricutes them!! ;D ;D
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Post by Chuckles on Oct 19, 2006 20:25:36 GMT
As for the Vine Weevil, when spotted I normally rush indoors and grab my battery powered bug swotter, which basically electricutes them!! ;D ;D Where do you get one of those from bagpuss , it sounds fab. I struggle in some difficult to get at places with my T bag sqeazer. Glad to hear you saved your Geranium. The cigarette soaked in water as an insecticide sounds interesting, was this a whole cigarette or a used one would be interested to know more on this. |
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Post by Barbara on Oct 20, 2006 13:10:30 GMT
if i find a pot with them in, i up- root the plant, put the compost in an old roasting tin and cook them in the oven on high, no more vine weevils.
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Post by Chuckles on Oct 20, 2006 13:59:56 GMT
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Post by Plocket on Oct 20, 2006 14:28:45 GMT
if i find a pot with them in, i up- root the plant, put the compost in an old roasting tin and cook them in the oven on high, no more vine weevils. What a cunning plan Barbara - welcome btw! |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2006 16:06:36 GMT
Barbara, that is even more fiendish than going out at night armed with a torch and pair of scissors in slug-pursuit - you are obviously going to be a great addition to this board. Welcome! ;D
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Post by Plocket on Oct 20, 2006 16:14:30 GMT
I guess you could microwave the soil too - has anyone ever tried that?
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Post by bagpuss on Oct 20, 2006 16:40:32 GMT
Hi Busybee
I got my bug zappa from a local builders' merchants, but I think it is something you can get from Robert Dyas and the like. It takes 2 AA batteries and is shaped like a small tennis racket. It has a button to charge up the wire mesh and then you're ready to zap. It is very satisfying.
With the ciggie insecticide u can use a whole one, but as I smoke (I know I shouldn't) I used a couple of ciggie butts instead. I will have a look in the book I found the suggestion in over the weekend to see if I can find further details for you.
Have a good weekend all.
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Post by torontotrini on Oct 20, 2006 19:16:22 GMT
if i find a pot with them in, i up- root the plant, put the compost in an old roasting tin and cook them in the oven on high, no more vine weevils. Nice idea, but if BH were to catch me with a pot of compost in the oven she would have me by the short and curlies - and in my case we're talking the lower short and curlies. ;D And Plockett, I remember reading somewhere that microwaves do not have any effect on very tiny creatures; like for example fruit flies. I don't know if vine weevils would be too small to be nuked by the microwaves, but I guess in any case the soil/compost would get hot enough to roast them even if they were too small to be zapped by the microwaves directly. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2006 23:56:24 GMT
Sorry I have been unable to post for a while.
Thank you Geronimo and Juliet and others with your info re the vine weevils. I followed your link Juliet and understand the concern there. However, my local Wyevale is selling this as a cleaner for concrete etc. The website for Armillatox says it is safe for plants and good ( bad!) for vine weevils so I might store it for use as a cleaner for moss etc but spray it on my soil to deter the vine weevil. It seems the smell might do that on its own! ( I haven't opened the bottle yet.)
I really am plagued with the blighters, in my flower beds as well as pots and pravado is working out expensive. Night time patrols would help too I suppose. I generally tip out the soil from my pots and let the birds have the weevils.
Thanks everyone
Wx
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2006 16:14:02 GMT
I've used Pravado for a while, with reasonable results but I emptied a hanging basket this week which had shown no sign but was really infested. My best control came to my help, my almost tame robin ate the grubs I found and put on a plant tray for it, then I spread out the remainding compost and it went through it all, to both our satisfaction. I do find weavils in the house though, they are hard to squash aren't they?
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Post by Chuckles on Nov 6, 2006 21:30:16 GMT
gertrudej2nd I have to say I get great satisfaction hearing the little monsters crunch under whatever I have to hand at the time;D ;D.
I don't appear to have had that much of a problem with them this year. Mustn't get complacent though your never totally rid of them I guess.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2006 21:38:16 GMT
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Post by Dutchy on Nov 8, 2006 18:05:53 GMT
I forgot the normal May treatment with Nematodes but still had little problems with the bleeeep critters.
Lets keep our fingers crossed for a nice pandemonium of Vine Weevil flu.
Kill them naturally without us having to poison our soil.
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Post by Susie Snowdrop on Nov 8, 2006 19:49:29 GMT
ARMILLATOX IS BANNED  . Under no circumstances should you be allowed to purchase this anywhere! Apparently, the chemicals are being changed so it will come back on the market eventually but, in the meantime, anybody trying to sell this is committing an offence! S x |
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Post by piggingardener on Nov 13, 2006 14:55:55 GMT
Not so.
Armillatox was banned as anything other than a cleansing agent. You may still buy it as such. It is very similar to Jeyes Fluid.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2006 19:25:42 GMT
Armillatox is freely on sale, but as they were not prepared to pay oodles of money to prove its viability for various jobs it fell by the wayside for these tasks. It's UK website advertises only what it is licenced to do in the EU, whilst its international website advertises all the jobs it potentially may be used for. www.armillatox.com/default.htmlI've never used the stuff personally, but am quitely interested in "banned" products and what they claim to do. For example there are whole books entitled 1001 ways to use vinegar, but Sarsons are unable to make such claims for themselves without shelling out big bucks...... |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2006 19:47:58 GMT
You could try Bio Long Last
Worth a try.
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Post by Chuckles on Feb 25, 2007 21:17:38 GMT
Thght it was time this came back into play
After planting up the plants my neighbour gave me yesterday I decide to sort out the supermarket basket with my last years plants in. I emptied it out and started sorting the young plants out and found the dreaded Vine Weevil. Little blighters had gone up into the harder root growth of the plant. All sorted now, hard root cut off and all remaining roots washed off and planted up in fresh compo. The old compo has gone in a bucket and been topped up with water, I'll leave it for just over a week to make sure they are dead and then tip it in the compo bin.
Never had them in Strawberries before, has anyone else.
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Post by Barbara on Feb 26, 2007 15:15:56 GMT
my daughter had some in one of those tall strawberry planters,
she thought they were maggots,
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. Under no circumstances should you be allowed to purchase this anywhere! Apparently, the chemicals are being changed so it will come back on the market eventually but, in the meantime, anybody trying to sell this is committing an offence!
