A million Notches in privet hedge

[Moonmoth]

Hi I have never had this problem before ,they dont look like Leaf cutter bees' knotches and I was thinking along the lines of a beetle . There can't possibly be that many vine weevils on my 8 ft hedge or i would have noticed them surely . is there some new nasty privet chomping beetle ?

[Acutipuerilis]

Could it be stick insects? The ones people often as pets are fond of privet, and there are some wild UK populations...

[The Woodman]

I'd say stick insects too.

[Miss Caretaker]

We have some privet at the back of our school wild garden which is also covered in irregular notches, as are the brambles and wild rose near it. I have searched all over for anything that could be doing it but hadn't thought to look for stick insects, though I've no idea how I'd spot them! I'll keep looking, you never know!
Jo

[Acutipuerilis]

If it's in brambles as well as privet, then stick insects are a plausible option.

[Moonmoth]

Thanks, thats a really interesting suggestion ,I shall go out and have a look .I'm sure if they had been there I would have missed them !

[Miss Caretaker]

I remembered this post (as it was recent!) so if you find any, here's the person to tell: stick insects in the wild your sightings are welcome
Jo

[Moonmoth]

Hi, forgot to post before that saw nothing, but just now saw 4 vine weevils but would need a thousand fold more to make that many holes Yikes

[Moonmoth]

Is there anything that is partial to Vine weevils in the UK and does anyone know where they came from ?

[jeremiah]

I have heard that chickens will eat them. Failing that, there is a biological control called Nemasys - you water them into the ground / your pot-plants and they kill the larvae.

The larvae do more damage than the adult weevils - they eat roots and kill the plants.