V W habit
V W habit
Comment from Shoot User
841 1
It's an awful problem. It lives in my heavy clay ground, not only in the pots. It eats my rhododendron, primulas, heucheras. It managed to keel my Japanese acer. I found the beetle a couple of times and a lots a lot of larvae. I've never found more details about V W habit. How long it takes for larvae to become a beetle? How long is the beetle's life? Does it start to lay its eggs immediately after the birth or it needs some time to mature? How resistant the pest is for weather, food and ground quality? Well it obviously prefers good compost, but doesn't mind my heavy clay apparently.
I made an experiment: I put 5 best larvae in a little jar with a bit of compost, some roots and a little moisture. I started in the middle of November. 2weeks later all were alive, 4 weeks later larvae were still moving I could see them through the bottom of the jar. They had just a tablespoon of compost with some roots inside! The most amazing was when in the middle of January the beetle was born. I could see it laying on its back moving its legs. It was light brown first about 0.5 cm big After that I lost the beetle inside the jar, I've never seen it again. I lost my interest to the experiment as well as I realised how great survivals they are. Only joy was that from 5 larvae 1 beetle appeared. I actually wonder what happened to the other 4? Maybe they were eaten? I still have my jar on the window. I think the beetle is living there. It changed its color and hiding itself daytime as they said to be nocturne. I gave it a rhododendron leave to enjoy, but the leave is safe so far.
I made an experiment: I put 5 best larvae in a little jar with a bit of compost, some roots and a little moisture. I started in the middle of November. 2weeks later all were alive, 4 weeks later larvae were still moving I could see them through the bottom of the jar. They had just a tablespoon of compost with some roots inside! The most amazing was when in the middle of January the beetle was born. I could see it laying on its back moving its legs. It was light brown first about 0.5 cm big After that I lost the beetle inside the jar, I've never seen it again. I lost my interest to the experiment as well as I realised how great survivals they are. Only joy was that from 5 larvae 1 beetle appeared. I actually wonder what happened to the other 4? Maybe they were eaten? I still have my jar on the window. I think the beetle is living there. It changed its color and hiding itself daytime as they said to be nocturne. I gave it a rhododendron leave to enjoy, but the leave is safe so far.
Posted: Sunday 10th of February 2013 11:47 AM