Nematodes

[Nicos]

Well...Thankyou!!

PS - is your dog a deerhound? Friendly looking face!

[Bugeyes]

He's a very deer hound but only in vets fees! Ernie is a dogs home mutt, 15 this year and still going strong if a little confused (but then aren't we all?)

[iainhawk]

I would take care with the nematodes and only order from a large company-that can store them correctly and have a large turn-over of product. I ordered a box from a well known seed company and tested it using all of the appropriate conditions and within a day of receipt and it failed to work completely.

I am a biologist and had a look at the nematodes under a microscope and they were all dead. I complained and got another box(eventually)- direct from the maufacturers and they were very much alive and in my trial worked perfectly-the product reduced slug numbers on all of my controlled plots and in indoor, enclosed trials.

There had apparently been a problem with that batch-but they did not recall the product!!- how many people check??

The nematodes were only active for a few weeks though -so treatments at the correct time is important. About now is perfect as the smaller slugs are becoming more active and the nematode are most effective against the smaller slugs. A second treatment with fresh product in early June, followed by another in september will ensure a much reduced slug population. This will set you back 30 pounds or so though.....but worth it for good veg.

[SueA]

I've used the nematodes for slugs & vine weevils several times in the past with varying results.The slug ones only really work on small slugs in the soil not the big fat ones which tend to be above ground & not on snails & you do need to repeat the process a couple of times a year.I think the vine weevil one was pretty effective as it seemed to reduce the population but again you need to keep repeating it.The packs I bought were the small sizes & cost about £9.95-£12.95 from a company called Scarletts.

[notmilk]

Last year in the garden my wife and I went on night time slug hunts with a torch which proved very effective. Repeat a few times a week for a couple of weeks. I can't bear to kill them so did a relocation to a nice shrub bed a few streets away (hope they didn't find their way into the neighbours gardens!)

[plot 11 pam]

thaks all for nematode advice , its rained overnight and its warm my nems are coming out for dinner tonight.

[fruit&vegvirgin]

ooh, I'm interested in these and they are on my birthday list!!! (yeah, I know...) is Nemaslug what I'm looking for?

[SueA]

Yep, FVV ,Nemaslug is the one for slugs & nemasys vine weevil killer for the pesky little beetles.I think these may be brand names & you can probably get them under different names but these are the ones I've used.

[hils]

Last year in the garden my wife and I went on night time slug hunts with a torch which proved very effective. Repeat a few times a week for a couple of weeks. I can't bear to kill them so did a relocation to a nice shrub bed a few streets away (hope they didn't find their way into the neighbours gardens!)

I do not know about slugs but snails appear to have some type of homing device.
Last year in an effort to reduce numbers of the voracious molluscs and prove my theory that that snails always return to their own 'patch' I decided to run a little trial. Crunchy beasties hand caught at night, dotted with white gloss paint and then lobbed several gardens away via a trusty catapult.
Vigil then kept for marked molluscs. To my disgust the b*******s came slithering back within two nights.
Shame that Nemaslug does not work on snails!! Many thanks for that info grapes.

[Nicos]

Yes but look on the brightside...if your neighbour chucks theirs into your garden, they'll make their way back home again.

[fruit&vegvirgin]

just laughing my head off at this vision of hils keeping the vigil!!
now have a packet of nemaslug in the fridge - not very attractive I have to say. have seen slime trails around the newly planted sunflowers so will do some watering tonight and then put the nemaslug on. I'm thinking to apply it round the spuds before I earth them up, does that make sense? and then target other specific slug diner type plants.

[Looloobowers]

I used Nemaslug for the first time in October - apparently this dose kills the egg laying population and thus not as many slugs in spring. I have just applied the second of three treatments this year. I am delighted, Ok there is slight evidence of slug damage, but I have cabbages that have been overwintered. This is unheard of. The new seeds have come through and have survived. On the other allotment (untreated as yet) we have lost 50% of planted produce. Slug pellets have not deterred them. So next year I will do the same as with the first. This trial was most successful.

[Jaxom]

Second batch of Nemaslugs arrived today and is in the fridge. There is some slug damage in the garden but it is so slight that I am chuffed to beans with the whole process. I have lettuce in a boarder that was infested with slugs last year. Hostas are perfect with not a single hole and the delphiniums are untouched. Nematodes are fantastic. Next year I will put in an order for three doses. Based on the sucess of nematodes for slugs I am going to try the vine weevil ones as well.

[herbivore]

I had good results with Nemaslug but wonder why it doesn't go on working. Isn't it supposed to be naturally in the soil and if so, surely it has ways of surviving when food is scarce (i.e.there's been massive slug death). Thought you might know being a biologist and all.

[Jaxom]

Good question Herbivore. I look forward to an answer. At £9 a pop they are not cheep.