Gardening Questions Grubs on my Aquilegia seedlings

Hi Sid

Sounds just like what I have found in some of my tubs and pots - the dreaded vine weevil! I have just used them on mine as this is the time of the year when the grubs are active.

Are the cresent shaped and about half an inch long? I put it up on my blog a week or so ago.

Hope that helps.

Time to cook your compost.... put it in an old roaster and put it in your oven...raise the temp of the compost to 212 degrees for ten minutes. that should kill off anything undesireable that's in the soil.

It's certainly possible they are vine weevil grubs - feed the wee so and sos to the birds.

Nice Lori dread to think whats on the menu for sunday lunch.Isnt Aquilegeia also kown as Grannies Bonnet ? Could be moths.

Hi folks - thanks for all the suggestions. I guess they could be vine weevil grubs, but they are extremely small at the mo - I've got good eye-sight, but even I can hardly see them - I suppose they are about 2mm in length? So too small to fish out and feed to the birdies, Buzzbee!

Lori - not sure my poor Aquilegias will survive 212 degrees for 10 minutes!! ha ha ha....

Bonkers - yes, Aquilegias = Grannies Bonnets!

In that case they are the larva of the fungus gnat which is a nuisance in peat based composts. They do eat the roots of seedlings and damage the emerging shoot. There are specific insecticides to deal with them.

Oh, dear - that does seem more likely, Owdboggy. Fungus gnats - are those the little tiny flies that live on the surface of the compost? I have loads of those :-( Thanks for advice. Sarah.