The typical feeding marks give away the beetle
Since the black vine weevil is nocturnal, you will only see the brown or black beetle with the powerful proboscis if you examine the cherry laurel closely with a flashlight in the dark. You can definitely recognize an infestation by the small bays that the beetle eats in the leaf margins. At the same time, the larvae living in the ground feed on the roots of the cherry laurel and thereby damage the plant considerably.
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Fighting black weevils successfully
If you discover bay damage, you should first try to catch the adult beetles. It is good practice to place clay pots filled with wood wool under the bushes. The insects use these traps as resting places during the day so that you can easily collect the vermin.
Also work commercially available neem press cakes into the soil. Neem oil is poisonous for the beetles and larvae and prevents the vermin from continuing to eat the cherry laurel.
Biological plant protection through the application of beneficial insects
In the case of severe infestation, control with nematodes has proven itself. The tiny nematodes penetrate the voracious larvae and kill them off within a very short time. Since the nematodes continue to multiply, this method is considered very sustainable. At the same time, it protects the environment as the beneficial organisms are harmless to humans and vertebrates.
Aphids: annoying vermin
Almost from one day to the next, aphids can colonize the cherry laurel in their thousands and cause massive damage to the wood. Under favorable conditions, the vermin can clone themselves up to five times a day and thus ensure mass distribution. Aphids sit in large colonies on the shoots or under the foliage and cover these parts of the plant with their excretions.
Consequences of the infestation
The sticky honeydew clogs the pores of the leaves, the leaves of the cherry laurel curl up, shoots and flowers die off. In addition, the lice transmit plant fours, which can also damage the cherry laurel.
What helps against vermin?
There are a number of effective control methods:
- In case of light infestation, rinse off lice with a sharp jet of water.
- Spray cherry laurel with nettle broth, soapy water, neem oil or curd soap. However, this treatment must be repeated several times.
- If these measures do not help, you can use commercially available insecticides. You should give preference to agents that protect beneficial insects.
Leaf miners in cherry laurel
If you discover light brown wavy lines in the leaves, this indicates an infestation with leaf miners. The caterpillars only have an indirect effect on the cherry laurel, as it affects the photosynthesis of the plant through its feeding channels. This leads to chronic malnutrition of the plant.
Unfortunately, no insecticides are currently approved for combating leaf miners in the home garden. To prevent the vermin from spreading further, all fallen leaves of the cherry laurel should be collected and disposed of with household waste.
Tips & Tricks
Wasps on the cherry laurel are annoying, but do not need to be controlled. The animals only feed on the sweet nectar juice secreted by the laurel cherry and do no harm themselves.
