Climbing Hydrangea Pests!

Discussion in 'Garden Pest Management and Identification' started by Gursk, Apr 17, 2007.

  1. Gursk

    Gursk Active Member

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    Hi there,

    Last summer I had an awful time with pests eating the leaves of my climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris). I *think* they were weevils, as they were eating large notches on the edges of the leaves & left the plant very damaged without anything near a bloom.

    This spring, the hydrangea has leaved out nicely, but I'm starting to notice those nasty notches again!!!

    In an effort to prevent another infestation, I applied a Cold Shots nematode about 3 weeks ago and have applied tanglefoot strips to the base of the plant.

    Is there anything else I can do to combat these weevils?

    I've still got some Bug B Gone that I tried on them last year, but will this also kill the nematodes?

    Might this be a different bug that needs to be handled differently?

    Thanks for any & all help.

    Wendy, in Vancouver, BC.
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    If not weevils then maybe caterpillars. If you go out at night with a flashlight and look they will probably be caught in the act.

    May be too cold for nematodes, what did the package say about temperatures and timing?
     
  3. Gursk

    Gursk Active Member

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    The nematodes I applied were "Cold Shots", designed for lower temperatures (but it has been really cold). I got them from the Bug Lady http://www.thebuglady.ca her description:

    Cold Shots
    Pests affected: Weevils
    Application time: Soil temp at 5 C (Feb – Apr)
    Area covered: 20 large shrubs or 160 1 gallon pots
    Contents: 5 million


    I couldn't find any caterpillars with my flashlight. The only bugs I've seen around the plant are ants. Could they be doing the damage?
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Not unless they were leaf-cutting ants.
     
  5. Gursk

    Gursk Active Member

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    Thanks!!

    Not likely to be leaf-cutters, right? My Wikipedia lookup said they were in Central/South America.

    Maybe I missed the caterpillars - I looked on the leaf undersides - where else would I find them on the plant?
     
  6. Gursk

    Gursk Active Member

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    Finally my nocturnal bug hunts have borne fruit ... err weevils!

    Yes, I have found a few of the nasty things munching away at my hydrangea!
     
  7. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    That's what would be expected as weevils are abundant here.
     
  8. Sharrison

    Sharrison Member

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    I have discovered similar notches out of both my hydrangeas (neither is a climbing variety) and will look for weevils tonight after dark. Oddly, they have not made it to my evergreen clamatis (fingers crossed). I have learned that it's best to do two doses of the nematodes - one now and one in the fall.
     
  9. Gursk

    Gursk Active Member

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    Sharrison,

    That's exactly what I did. A shot of nemotodes last spring & again in the fall has brought me a virtually weevil free hydrangea this year!

    Hope you're able also get rid of yours!
     

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