Here are two words to send shivers down spines and looks of disgust across faces – vine weevils!

They will be reaching the stage where they start to look like bits of old pasta and, as grubs, they can do an enormous amount of damage.

The worst damage is caused to those plants grown in containers and there are particular plants that are more susceptible than others – things like rhododendron, azalea, bergenia, primula and heuchera.

The problem comes from the grubs eating the roots of plants leading to what is usually a sudden death – the plant looks sick, then you lift up the wilted leaves and the whole thing comes out in your hand – minus roots.

I have been known to take everything out of the pot and sift through the compost, squishing as I go (wear gloves).

You could feed the robins by gathering the grubs and putting them on the bird table or you could use either a chemical or a biological drench. Biological controls are more environmentally-friendly but require the temperature to be right.

They are only available through the post and one of the biggest providers is Nemasys, which can supply a wide range of controls. In this case, they will be a nematode – a microscopic worm-like creature – which will arrive having been freeze-dried ready to be rehydrated and applied to the compost. Please note that I say ‘compost’ – you will be on a loser if you try to do garden soil.

For the garden, be vigilant and observe – look for notches in the edges of leaves and go at night with your torch if you are concerned.

These notches are the newly-emerged adults moving around and munching as they go, but they will be looking for a nice, cosy pot to lay eggs in for next year.

You can hand-pick them off but do not drop them – you will never be able to find them again – and you must kill them. No good leaving these on the bird-table as they can move pretty fast. When killing them, you must hear them crunch – no crunch, not dead.

If you are unsure what a vine weevil or its grubs look like, have a look on the RHS website.

Talking of websites, if you have been wondering what on earth has been going on with the weather, not just in this country but across the world, Google ‘Why In The World Are They Spraying?’ and watch the videos on there. I depressed myself when I watched so be warned.

Your snowdrops will be over by now so it’s time to lift them, split any clumps and replant. Give them a sprinkle of a general fertiliser.

On the bulb front, we have some fabulous lilies and gladioli in stock. If you are worried about lily pollen then there are ones available that have no pollen at all. I just get hold of the stamens and whip the pollen-bearing anthers off mine.