Beneficial nematodes

[Chuck]

When most people hear the word nematode they think bad. Nematodes are like insects. There are beneficial and harmful ones. Beneficial nematodes are tiny living organisms that live in the soil and move through the soil on moisture. They will attack by boring a hole in harmful organisms like flea larvae, grub worms, chinch bugs, wire worms, ants etc. anything that lives in the soil, reproducing by laying eggs in the organism that they have attacked. They do not prey on earthworms. Nematodes come in a dried form which I have never had any luck with and do not recommend at all and on a blue sponge that has at least a million nemotodes on it. This is enough for most gardens and landscapes. You disperse them by soaking the sponge in a bucket of water until the nematodes have left the sponge and are swimming around. Put them in a hose end sprayer after first removing the filter. Usually you only have to apply once a year. They do an amazing job

www.nematode.com

 

[firelily99]

Thanks for that post, I'm sure that there are plenty of people who visit this forum that don't know anything about beneficial nematodes. Excellent job!

 

[headfullofbees]

I've been using "Nemaslug" for some years now, and can vouch for it as a good product, here in the UK.
It works slightly differently, but it does kill slugs.

I was losing half my potatoes every year to slugs, but have managed to cut that right back.

 

[Chuck]

I've been using "Nemaslug" for some years now, and can vouch for it as a good product, here in the UK.
It works slightly differently, but it does kill slugs.

I was losing half my potatoes every year to slugs, but have managed to cut that right back.

There are many types of beneficial nematodes and the people who produce them do so with a specific pest or pests in mind. Where I live it is rare to ever even see a slug. I do see a snail once in a while. Nematodes are extremely effective predators, it all depends on what their natural prey may be. I had a very serious flea and tick infestation 3 summers ago. They were literally everywhere by the thousands. 2 million nematodes later and I haven't seen a flea or tick since, altough I do put out a million nematodes every year

 

[headfullofbees]

There are many types of beneficial nematodes and the people who produce them do so with a specific pest or pests in mind. Where I live it is rare to ever even see a slug. I do see a snail once in a while. Nematodes are extremely effective predators, it all depends on what their natural prey may be. I had a very serious flea and tick infestation 3 summers ago. They were literally everywhere by the thousands. 2 million nematodes later and I haven't seen a flea or tick since, altough I do put out a million nematodes every year

In the very damp, temperate climate where I live, a million nematodes would be one for each slug.

 

[Chuck]

In the very damp, temperate climate where I live, a million nematodes would be one for each slug.

What are the main pests you have there?

 

[headfullofbees]

What are the main pests you have there?

Apart from the slugs and snails?
Aphids of all types, carrot fly, cabbage root fly, cabbage white butterfly, leaf miners, vine-weevil grubs, codling moth, lilly beetles, sawflies, wire worms...

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/plant-problems/pests

 

[Chuck]

Apart from the slugs and snails?
Aphids of all types, carrot fly, cabbage root fly, cabbage white butterfly, leaf miners, vine-weevil grubs, codling moth, lilly beetles, sawflies, wire worms...

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/plant-problems/pests

Looking at this website it seems that almost every pest is a caterpillar of some sort or will be a caterpillar. Caterpillars are the easiest of all pests to control, at least here anyway. I will do a thread on it

 

[Pat]

Where can you get this product, what is the best time and the best way to put this out to be used as a pest control in the garden. I would like to control the slugs in the area.

 

[Chuck]

Where can you get this product, what is the best time and the best way to put this out to be used as a pest control in the garden. I would like to control the slugs in the area.

Pat, I don't believe nematodes for slug control is available in the US. It is in the UK but I don't know how effective they are. Perhaps Bees or Zigs will have more info. I think the product name there is Nemaslug

 

[Susan BBPM]

Pat, I don't believe nematodes for slug control is available in the US. It is in the UK but I don't know how effective they are. Perhaps Bees or Zigs will have more info. I think the product name there is Nemaslug

Old thread, I know. I was searching for info on vine weevil.

You can make your own slug nematodes and they work extremely well!! Or at least - it works in the UK. It was used during WW2 to control slugs when people were growing their own veg for the war effort.

In order to create your own slug nematodes all you do is put some big lettuce leaves in a bucket of water. Collect a dozen or so slugs and put them on the leaves in the bucket - put the lid on. The slugs will eat the leaves until there is no 'island' left at which point they fall in the water and drown. Strain the liquid to get all the bits of slug out and water it onto your beds - it will be full of nematodes.

This works because a percentage of slugs are naturally infected. If you collect about a dozen you're pretty much guaranteed to get one that's infected. By keeping them in a bucket the all get infected. Infected slugs have a swollen mantel so you can identify them and speed things up by putting only infected slugs in your bucket.

 

[headfullofbees]

Old thread, I know. I was searching for info on vine weevil.

You can make your own slug nematodes and they work extremely well!! Or at least - it works in the UK. It was used during WW2 to control slugs when people were growing their own veg for the war effort.

In order to create your own slug nematodes all you do is put some big lettuce leaves in a bucket of water. Collect a dozen or so slugs and put them on the leaves in the bucket - put the lid on. The slugs will eat the leaves until there is no 'island' left at which point they fall in the water and drown. Strain the liquid to get all the bits of slug out and water it onto your beds - it will be full of nematodes.

This works because a percentage of slugs are naturally infected. If you collect about a dozen you're pretty much guaranteed to get one that's infected. By keeping them in a bucket the all get infected. Infected slugs have a swollen mantel so you can identify them and speed things up by putting only infected slugs in your bucket.

The same company have a vine-weevil killer:

Nematode Controls | Nematode Suppliers | Green Gardener

Green Gardener is the biggest Supplier of Nematodes in the UK! Highest rated gardener on reviews.co.uk. Free UK Delivery, order online or call 01493 750061

www.greengardener.co.uk

 

[pepper]

If you take a 5g bucket filled with rain water and put a shovel of compost into an old shirt and soak it in the bucket with a air pump from an aquarium for about 15-20 minutes all the nematodes from the compost will be in the water. You could then water the plants with it. There is a small window because they only stay alive in water for about 3-4 hours. If you don't have an aquarium air pump it would still work just dipping it in and out like a tea bag. Ideally if you have a microscope you can check a water sample every few minutes and once you see them you know it's ready.