nematodes for slugs

[MattD]

Has anyone had any success with using nematodes against slugs?  I bought two packs, one for the garden, one for the allotment, hopeful that it would overcome the massive slug problem without risk or injury to wildlife.

However, apart from a few sickly looking slugs wandering around in the middle of the day about a week after I watered it in, it doesn't seem to have provided the "6 weeks protection" I thought I was buying.  One point I discovered on reading the packet is the implication that the soil needs to be kept damp, presumably to keep the nematodes alive.  It suggests to me that they are actually best in a commercial greenhouse environment, for intentive growing of lettuces or something and not really suited to gardens and allotments.

I'm now spending every evening doing a manual and rather disgusting slug clearance.  I wish I'd invested the considerable amount the nematodes cost in tesco value bitter, which the slugs seem to enjoy in fatal quantities.  I'm also on the lookout for a trained hedgehog, but have so far met with no luck.

Matt

[MattD]

[Old bird]

Mat get yourself a chicken or two!!!

They are just brilliant for slugging and snailing plus the enjoy woodlice and earwigs just to mention a few!!!

As you may have gathered I have just got myself 12 - one of which has ended up in my house garden - due to a bad leg - and she is just brilliant fun!!  Yes - who would have thought it!  She does no damage to borders but she rattles round all day poking into this and that - move some plant pot or other and she is there clearing anything that was there!!

The others up the lottie are also brilliant - although more contained!  Still a litre jar of slugs and snails quickly vanishes.

I take the odd one or two along my allotment when I am digging and they happily check each turned forkful and remove anything that is alive!  Plus they kick around the clods a bit and break them down into smaller modules - then the ultimate finale th poo on the dug stuff!  Perfect! And then the eggs - they are just stupendous - brilliant nearly orange yolk!

Old Bird

;D

[ceres]

I've not used them but I saw them being used on GW for raised beds.  They screwed copper pipe around the top edge of the raised bed to stop new slugs from coming in and then used the nematodes inside the bed.  I can't see how they would be really effective without a barrier to prevent new invaders.

I'm using the new organic iron-based slug pellets that aren't harmful to children or wildlife and I'm very impressed.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

Shame! another bright idea that doesn't seem to work. Or you could get yourself some real toads like us, i mean real toads like we have  ;D

[Crystalmoon]

I also tried nematodes for the first time this year & dont think they worked very well, probably because we had the very hot unseasonal weather after I watered them in & there was no way I could keep the ground damp! The copper tape Im using around pots seems to be workin much better.

[Barnowl]

Just wondering where you get your copper tape from? I've run out and a builder friend of mine suggested using copper draught excluder because the tape is fairly expensive.

[JimmyJames]

B&Q sell it, but I think if you had lots of pots it would get expensive...

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?isSearch=true&fh_search=slug+barrier+tape&selected=products

[ceres]

On eBay £2.99 for 4 meter roll with free postage or lots of deals on bigger quantities.

[Barnowl]

Thanks. Some of the e-bay bulk buy prices don't look too bad but I think I'll give the draught excluder a go since I've a seed bed I want to try copper on.

[Suzanne]

I have used nemaslug successfully to kill the slugs resident in soil (are these keel slugs?) and also the eggs. So good for controlling around potatoes initially and then coontrolling population in total over time. They cannot kill or control large slugs on the surface or snails - which are the ones that cause the damage. To control these then the copper tape to act as a deterrent is a really good, plus I use growing success slug pellets which use ferramol (ferric phosphate) and approved for organic use.

[Trevor_D]

I've used Nemaslug for several years. Could never afford to do the whole garden, so just concentrated on the vulnerable bits; and to do a whole allotment you'd have to have more money than sense. But I can see the difference between the beds I've done and those I haven't.

But it doesn't last. I now do an initial blitz in late spring on beds I'm going to plant lettuce and other prone crops, then a follow-up (fairly soon) for those beds still in danger.

Pricey, but it works. (IMHO)

[foresterone]

I agree with Trevor D I had exactly the same experience too costly for general use ,my hostas agree!