Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Deborah1 on September 08, 2018, 11:32
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This is a cut and paste from a post at about the same time last year that didn't get any replies. Am posting again because, unfortunately it's just the same this year - and I'm still none the wiser! Perhaps someone can help.
"The hazelnut crop looked really good this year. I try and pick the nuts before they fall in case they have the maggots/larvae of the hazelnut weevil in them. This is worse some years than others, although I can't work out why.
If it's a bad year the maggots tunnel out of the nuts, burrow down into the soil and pupate and emerge the following year to re-infest the trees.
Despite my best efforts with this, and also repeatedly raking the soil to expose any to birds etc. over the winter/early spring, it seems that there are lots of nuts with maggots :(
Does anyone have any advice to offer that I might try? Thanks."
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Is it worth covering the soil under the tree, so the maggots cannot get into the soil/the ones already in the soil can't get out? Other than that I've no idea :(
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Do you know when the weevils fall to the ground, if so you could put cardboard down in the same vein as mum but then burn it to destroy them
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Thanks to you both. That seems a good place to start. And I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me to try? ::)
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I've done a quick internet search for the pest.
Here's an article (https://dalswildlifesite.com/weevilshazelnut.htm) about the life cycle of the weevil, and here's the Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curculio_nucum) with a little information about control (it references chemicals and nematodes). I haven't looked to see whether either option is available to amateur gardeners in this country.
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i wonder if keeping a few chickens in the area would help
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Thanks for the link Yorkie. Interesting reading. Ema, thanks for the idea. Chickens might help with the weevils but could present their own complications!