Nematodes - heros or zeros!

[rhonsal]

Looking for some advice from you lovely lot!

I have a small kitchen garden and when I pulled some turnips and radishes today I found them riddle with little white maggoty things - a quick tinterweb search would suggest cabbage fly maggots! This caused an outburst of rather rude words from me, and lots of tutting from a man walking past!

Some different websites suggest using nematodes to kill off the lava/maggots, and any other eggs laid by the flies - however before buying them i wanted to see if anyone else had used them and found them effective, as i'd hate to waste money on something that doesn't actually work!

If possible i want to reduce the risk to the rest of my crops, and ensure there is nothing overwintering in the soil!

Any help/suggestions/feedback gratefully received!

Thanks!

[Alison]

The slug ones definitely work but not sure about the others as I've not used them. To be honest it's easier to protect with fine net, I use enviromesh but net curtains work too and also stop the butterflies laying their eggs too

[rhonsal]

Thanks Alison - think i might be too late with the netting if the eggs are already in the soil, and the websites suggest the eggs/lava can over winter so I'd have the same problem next year again!

[Mr Bones]

Sorry to hear you've encountered this pest rhonsal, I was gutted the first time it hit us. When planting out we now surround the stem of young plants with torn rhubarb leaves. Maybe something similar would work over your seed beds.

[rhonsal]

Cheers Mr Bones - might raid my mums rhubarb plant and try the leaves! Pesky little blighters - just when you think your doing well in the garden warding off slugs, snails and butterflies something else comes along!

[Alison]

Thanks Alison - think i might be too late with the netting if the eggs are already in the soil, and the websites suggest the eggs/lava can over winter so I'd have the same problem next year again!

That's why rotation of crops is done (or one of the reasons), although the pests will still be there next year, if they find onions there rather than cabbages then they'll have no dinner

[Nicos]

I found using the slug nematodes for 2 consecutive years worked really well.

You have to remember you are handling 'livestock' so, make sure you get them from a good supplier, store them in the fridge as soon as you get them and use them asap.
They will live in the soil and travel through the moisture, so using them in a heatwave and watering onto plants isn't going to be much use!!

I found applying them in the evening to the soil when there isn't going to be a frost before the plants get large was the best time...and I imagine early Autumn too???
Thing is- you do need to water all the beds as slugs can move from one place to another.

I think sometimes they don't seem to have worked because they haven't been stored/ used properly and have died...and that their use wasn't extensive enough to get to most of the soil surface on the plot ( and yup- they do seem an expensive commodity , but shouldn't be used sparingly! )

And yes- they will slowly return if you don't use the nematodes again for several years - cos 'nature abhors a vacuum'

so- not much help with your little critters, but I just thought I'd share my experience of slug nematodes for you to be aware of the importance of use and storage on how they affect the final results.

[marchogaeth]

That's why rotation of crops is done (or one of the reasons), although the pests will still be there next year, if they find onions there rather than cabbages then they'll have no dinner

Veggie mesh for me (I'm always in a rush and it keeps my cats in their bits!) and rotation. You could encourage birds to peck over the soil, too when it's bare by feeding in that area but you will get self set bird seed, although the birds will love that, too.

I invested in the slug nematode this year but it's been really dry since I applied it and you have to keep it moist for it to work. I've tried but work and hay making probably mean I've wasted my money. It definitely works though but I didn't have much luck with my home made version - Welsh slugs are just too healthy.

[rhonsal]

Thanks Alison and Nicos - I do use crop rotation but as I only have a small space using square meter gardening principles I think they are finding my crops easily and munching away, and then when maturing in to flies they don't have to go far before laying the next set of eggs!

A website selling the nematodes offer 6 treatments dispatched over a staggered period so I'm thinking that's to help with the storage/use issues!

Think I just need to take the plunge and get things under control if possible!

Thanks for the advice - much appreciated!