Insect Problems Black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus . The larvae of this weevil often injure heath and heather in nurseries and ornamental plantings by feeding on the roots. The tops of injured plants first turn yellow, then brown, and the severely injured plants die. Leaf notching by adults can be unsightly. Only females are known.
Adults are flightless and feed nocturnally.
The legless grub is white with a brown head and is curved like grubs of other weevils. Adults and large larvae overwinter, emerging from May - July. The adults have to feed for 3-4 weeks before being able to lay eggs. Treating the soil with insect pathogenic nematodes may control the larvae and should be the first line of defense for landscape plantings. Acephate and fluvalinate are among the compounds registered for control of this pest in Connecticut, and may be applied when there is adult feeding and before egg laying starts.