slug Nematodes- did they work for you?

[maverick451]

Hi

Thinking about trying these in my garden but wondering if they do actually work well?

[Bohobumble]

I used them years ago and although I applied no real scientific method the plants in the area seemed to be protected for a few weeks.

I am just about to water some in this afternoon to preempt the eggs I have seen around in recent weeks - nip the bleddy things in the bud - reckon I'll try this this summer: The war on slugs starts at home - Telegraph

[alldigging]

Yes. And I only realised how well when after aout 7 or so weeks I actually found a tiny slug in the area I'd watered them on to. I had been planting stuff out and not giving it a second thought that it was still intact the next day!
Dear though else I'd use them on my allotment too.

[Penellype]

I've used them for the last couple of years and find that they definitely have an effect. Don't expect a slug free zone, but vastly betteer than without.

[marchogaeth]

I've used them for the last couple of years and find that they definitely have an effect. Don't expect a slug free zone, but vastly betteer than without.

Ditto. I think it's correct to say that you do need enough slugs to carry the nematode for it to be really effective, otherwise it will run out of effectiveness before the time it's meant to cover. You need to use other control until numbers get up.

[veggiechicken]

Are you still brewing your own, M?

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

I had a go at brewing my own last year, I found it effective for about a month from application. Be interested to see how marchogaeth got on as well.

You really need a strong stomach to undertake brewing as it can get a bit ukky.

[veggiechicken]

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ight=nematodes

[marchogaeth]

Are you still brewing your own, M?

No. I have tried it twice. The first time, after nearly a month on their floating island the b££ggers were still sunning themselves, looking happy as Larry with no signs of the tell tale bubble on the backs of their heads. The second time I inoculated them with some nemaslug and used that on a few very precious plants but the thing is, if I've bought a packet of nemaslug, then one hit at the height of the season on vulnerable plants is enough coupled with the scissors and a bit of judicious picking and drowning.

I would also add that I don't really find anything will stop slugs finding their way into the hearts of lettuce and cabbage if they are determined so they need constant inspection or a very good clean when harvested!!

This stuff works well Grazers Slugs and Snails it is organic but expensive. I use it if the slugs seem to be hitting one plant really hard for some reason and I don't want to sacrifice it. If this was available as a water or spray on control for bi areas it would be worthwhile. Apparently, it stops the slugs' digestion working very quickly.

The main things I do for slugs are:-

Manic control in the tunnel and I almost never have wet soil surface - so I spot water and then bury plastic bottles around, by doing this I limit their habitat.

In the garden I keep the paths of grass really short or kill them out all together if I have enough cardboard to lay on them (I know allotmenters might have trouble with this). I get cardboard with lots of veg/muck etc on the beds early in the autumn and the slugs seem to lay their eggs under these then in spring as the cardboard rots the wild birds move in an go the lot as well as adding some extra nitrogen.

Although my beds are raised, wide ridges (about 1.5 x 2.5m) the rise from below ground level. I cut the edges clean every year and keep them this way pretty much all season. This is the basis of a (crude) beetle trap. On all the beds I create pile of rocks - beetle habitat. Any ground beetle that falls in is trapped and them establishes itself on the bed for the season. If I find any I also drop them in. It's a bit worrying when you start because the slugs move into the stone piles! The battle then is not to crack and remove them, at least not straight away. It took me two years to get this looking like it was working (and it might be a disaster this year - who knows). By the end of the season the walls get broken down and the beetles can emigrate or whatever it is they do. I don't really dig but you then have to remember not to remove every grub you find because some will be beetle larvae. ALSO if you do decide to use nemaslug the beetles need to be able to get away to healthy slugs. I'm honestly not sure if they eat the dying ones - probably as they must eat the naturally infected ones but there won't be enough once the treatment kicks in.

Last year, I did nemaslug my main crop potatoes in late July as I was growing Sarpo which seem very prone (but blight free.) but we can't face the skins on Sarpo baked potatoes again so we'll be back to second earlies and Blight Watch again this year.

I also mostly spot water - again keeping the surface unattractive to the slugs. I might even consider dropping in bottles among the potatoes this year.

So that turned into an essay didn't it? It was only when V asked about the brew that I really had to think about why I abandoned it and what I actually do. Of course what sort of works for me may not work for others. I do also tend to live with it a bit - I don't mind sticking my cabbage in salty water before cooking and floating the slugs out.

I thought I'd but a picture on a previous thread of the beetle bed trap but can't find it. If I get time I'll scan one over the weekend in as the goggle search only gives pitfall traps or Michael Keaton.

[unclefudgly]

Hi

Thinking about trying these in my garden but wondering if they do actually work well?

They work pretty well, I tend to spread thinly over the allotment and it definitely makes a difference but hard to quantify. Its still a bit early though as soil should be above 5C or else they will just die.

[Bohobumble]

They work pretty well, I tend to spread thinly over the allotment and it definitely makes a difference but hard to quantify. Its still a bit early though as soil should be above 5C or else they will just die.

I don't think it's the temperature kills them, the destructions say to keep them refrigerated until use....?

[sparrow100]

That's when they are in a dormant state Boho, when you mix them with water to add them to the soil you activate them. At that point they need a soil temp of 5C or above to work. They will go inactive and die off more rapidly when they are too cold.

I think they are great, though I've not got the stomach to make my own. I only really use them for my spuds, but only once in the season, when the plants start to flower and tubers are starting to be formed. I have had mostly slug-free spuds ever since. If I grew maincrop in any substantial fashion I'd probably use them more than once.

[Lumpy]

Never tried it as we have only had very small raised beds and pots etc so slug patrol, traps etc were very easy to oversee because it was all just outside the kitchen door.
However, this year we have Lu Lu lottie and I think it might be worth using some for my spuds and lettuce etc. I would like to have a go on the whole plot but its size makes it an expense I can't afford.
This thread has been very helpful to me as a slugatode newbie - thank you.

[Penellype]

One point that caught me out when I was new to nematodes - make sure you use a coarse rose on the watering can. I bought a dribble bar, which had fine holes and the thing got blocked and fell off the can very quickly, wasting a fair amount of the liquid as a result.

[marchogaeth]

One point that caught me out when I was new to nematodes - make sure you use a coarse rose on the watering can. I bought a dribble bar, which had fine holes and the thing got blocked and fell off the can very quickly, wasting a fair amount of the liquid as a result.

I think the instructions say to use wide holes or the nematodes could get blocked - they must swell up to a big size - and not get spread out evenly.