nematodes for SLUGS

[Ken the Chef]

I have just received my April GYO and have found a few words on nematodes.
Has anybody used them and had success as last year I tried them but had difficulty in getting them through the rose on the can, even a large rose. Everything just clogged up solid and I ended up having to sprinkle straight from the watering can, and to say it was a success – no!
Any comments on the application!

[Paulottie]

Que?....shouldn't clog up can with a normal rose.

Should be fresh and kept cool and only applied once per packet.

Best to share with a friend cos you really need a few applications in a season.

It is good cos it gets the little grey keel slugs theat spend most of their time beneath the soil,...but really only any use for the serious grower with a large valuable crop to my mind... as it is a very expensive option to just slosh around for a couple of lettuce.

A torch and tongs on a damp evening. ...cheaper and effective.

[LinnetLegs]

Well I am a newbie on the allotment (last summer) and I got some that were suitable for the autumn. Can't really say to tell you the truth because I didn't get much produce going. I watered then in with a watering can, but I have bought a spray feeder attachment for the hose which should give better coverage.

I have ordered some more, so we will see

tbh - I think it is the way to go for controlling pests - no chemicals and no having to manually kill them

[chriscross1966]

I used them across the plot last year and feel I had a lot less slug problems than my plot neighbours. That said I caught the perfect time in spring when it got wet for a couple of weeks before I got stuff planted out... the place should have been sething with them so a good few breeding cycles of the nematodes would have got through leaving a large number of cysts to cover me through the summer.

chrisc

[Nicos]

I used it a few of years ago and it made a big difference.
You water it onto wet/damp soil so that the nematodes can swim around and find the slugs.
If there is a frost, it can kill off some of the nematodes.
The shelf life of storing it in the fridge is quite short, and they do start to die off whilst in storage.
Bit tricky really to decide when to use it regarding storage and frosts.
I'd certainly use them again although it didn't kill my big slugs, and no- it doesn't kill snails.
I think you should be able to find something in the 'particularly useful search facility', as I asked quite a few questions a few years back

[selfraising]

I use it and find it good, as others have said, for those slugs that live beneath the soil. I use it alongside slug wool, which reminds me need to start ordering some!!!

[Paulottie]

There was a very good article on slugs in GYO a few years ago. I think they identified about fifteen different sorts of slug. Most of them only fed on decaying matter and those big creepy tiger striped ones ate other slugs.

There are mainly 3 sorts that are problematic to the gardener's crops inc. the big orangey ones and the keel (little grey) ones that get into the potatoes carrots etc.

As I understand it the nematodes effect the feeding capabilities of the slugs causing them to starve. They are normally present in the sol anyway but by increasing the populations you tip the balance in favour of the gardener. As there are no hosts left The nematode populations decrease rapidly... slug eggs hatch; slugs invade from surrounding areas ...populations recover steadily. It is a 6 - 8 week cycle.

As mentioned above (and the instructions will tell you) product shelf life very short and the most efficient time for the one-off application is during a damp spell...they will not live long without a host.

I haven't used it recently but We used to sell it at Biowise...about the same price as 75 kgs of delivered spuds or carrots per application!...You do the maths!... as I say be quite accurate rather than sloshing it about means you don't need as much and thus its best to share to get more applications per season for less outlay.

It is an excellent product but still...dear.

[Ken the Chef]

What is SLUG WOOL!! I have not heard of that before

[Nicos]

What is SLUG WOOL!! I have not heard of that before

Pellets made from wool
I've never used them- sort of cautious of the fact that sheep are dipped in pesticides which clings to the lanolin in the wool.
( I've had probs with skin allergies with creams containing lanolin)

Anyone know how 'pure' these pellets are?

Poor farmers desperately need o sell wool products due to the world surplus- so I don't want to put peeps off!!

I love the idea though as they biodegrade!!

[Jeanied]

Slug wool - a link
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Why does it say that? It's a link to Harrod horticultural page for slug wool!

[oldie]

I have heavy clay soil which is not suitable for nematodes. I wonder how economical the slug wool would be on an allotment? I have used Bran which does help and is very cheap to buy but needs replacing when it has got very wet.

[weekendwellies]

I was thinking of getting the blue pellets this year and just scattering them in the areas where they are needed.
Does anyone know if they keep well?

[LolaLou]

I used Nematodes last year and will be again this year - hardly any problems with my spuds (the bigger problem was me putting my fork through them and bind weed growing into them!). I think they are great (although OH is not keen on me storing the packets i the fridge!) and still shudder at the amount of blue pellets my dad uses and therefore consumes in some form in his veg.

[sarraceniac]

One problem with them, Ken, is that if you get just one quick temperature below 5oC, they are dead. So in the north you can really only use them from May onwards. This wasn't much use to me. By then all my young brassicas etc. had been eaten. I now rely on beer traps.

[weekendwellies]

blue pellets my dad uses and therefore consumes in some form in his veg.

How does the stuff get into the veg Lola?
I thought it was safe with fruit and veg.