Conv Hawk help needed please (1 Viewer)

[Gastronaut]

Can anyone suggest an alternative food plant for Conv Hawk larvae? Last of the bindweed is disappearing fast and they're stubbornly refusing to eat anything else.

 

[honeym]

Hi
I'm sorry to say this but you've come across the reason why they don't survive in the UK over winter - no available foodplant. I've searched but not come up with any suggestions, unless you know someone who has Morning Glory (Ipomoea) growing in a sheltered spot in their garden.

 

[Gastronaut]

Hi
I'm sorry to say this but you've come across the reason why they don't survive in the UK over winter - no available foodplant. I've searched but not come up with any suggestions, unless you know someone who has Morning Glory (Ipomoea) growing in a sheltered spot in their garden.

Thanks Martin,

I'm hoping I can keep finding enough remnants of bindweed to see them through to pupation. Doesn't look like long to go for most of them. It's a pity they don't come earlier in the year, we have tons of bindweed with nothing much eating it.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Thanks Martin,

I'm hoping I can keep finding enough remnants of bindweed to see them through to pupation. Doesn't look like long to go for most of them. It's a pity they don't come earlier in the year, we have tons of bindweed with nothing much eating it.

I don't suppose you could freeze some bindweed while you can still find any?


A

 

[richardjbartlett]

If you can find some fresh(ish) shoots it might be worth taking cuttings and growing them on indoors.

Good luck.

 

[dantheman]

I don't suppose you could freeze some bindweed while you can still find any?

Nice idea, but wouldn't it just go to mush? (Which they may or may not go for).

How about in the fridge, in a pot of water, temporarily.

Or put the word out locally.

Presumably you don't want to sacrifice some for the others? Or put the smaller ones at a colder temp so their food needs slow down.


If you do freeze it and it goes to mush, and they like it you could always try smearing it on a fairly innocuous green leaf (thinking lettuce perhaps) and trick them into eating that ... or even smearing fresh broken leaves onto lettuce ...

Or get someone to fly them down to Portugal for a few weeks and then post them back when they've pupated ...

Or ...

 

[Gastronaut]

If you can find some fresh(ish) shoots it might be worth taking cuttings and growing them on indoors.

Good luck.

It's a crazy plan, but it just might work...
Wish I'd thought of this weeks ago, it was still 30 deg C in the greenhouse at the weekend while the sun was out so I could have been growing plenty. Goes against my instincts though, I'm usually trying to grow less of it not more. I thought feeding it through caterpillars would be a fun way to dispose of some but I couldn't believe how suddenly it all vanished at the first sign of cold weather.

Thanks for all the ideas folks. I've found a few more plants in a sheltered spot near the kids' school which will hopefully be enough to see them through.