The 'todes have landed!

[MrsBertBibby]

Have that you slimy bastards!

How tiny are they? Are they visible? I have a MAJOR slug and snail problem, but I also have a worm phobia...if they're visibly little wriggling fuckers I won't be able to use them

You don’t have to worry about damage to your crops or the environment. Nemaslug contains millions of natural occurring microscopic nematodes. These nematodes go to work at killing slugs both above and below the ground.

I am doing belt and braces, nematodes and bran, our railway sleeper flower bed is coming on a treat and they are not having it. #gavel

They are absolutely not visible to the naked eye.

I got the basic nematode version and used half of it dosing a pot with vine weevil grubs in. I have just realised with great excitement that I can use the other half to dose the indoor pots which are harbouring fruit flies!

@Bramshott

I got the basic nematode version and used half of it dosing a pot with vine weevil grubs in. I have just realised with great excitement that I can use the other half to dose the indoor pots which are harbouring fruit flies!

This has made me laugh out of all proportion to the post.

Thank you.

@Comfortableatlast
Either my life is very dull, or my fruit flies are very annoying (or both)!

mine arrived this week too, and are currently in the fridge, hoping to get round to applying them tomorrow (off to uni open day with the teenager today sadly otherwise would have done it today!)
I have been topping up my beer traps already though and have defintitely seen an improvement since Ive been usng those. Ive got signs of delphiniums coming back to life and actually surviviing more than a day for the first time ever! And the beer trpas are full of plaenty of slugs!!

Ooo thanks for the reminder! 🐌

@Ecosralayce

mine arrived this week too, and are currently in the fridge, hoping to get round to applying them tomorrow (off to uni open day with the teenager today sadly otherwise would have done it today!) I have been topping up my beer traps already though and have defintitely seen an improvement since Ive been usng those. Ive got signs of delphiniums coming back to life and actually surviviing more than a day for the first time ever! And the beer trpas are full of plaenty of slugs!!

Do you make your own beer traps?

I did some research on beer traps last year and the slugs smell the yeast from a significant distance. They may be inviting more slugs into your garden than you already had. I provide some good hiding places in the beds and remove the buggers in the morning. i've just despatched thousands of overwintering snails.

I can never bring myself to actually kill them. I am currently releasing them into the compost heap to feed my large population of slow worms.

I've got some beer trpas that I bought, but I also just use little yogurt pots sunk into the ground. Fill them up with supermarket super saver beer.
I was sceptical at first, but had tried everything over the years with no luck, and have never had a delphinium or lupin successfully come back for a second year until this year., they would literally be deimated overnight as soon as the appeared above ground. They have deifnitely helped massively in my garden. Im so happy I can have delphiniums now.

Anyway, The 'todes have been watered in - hopefully another effective weapon in the war against the slimy ones!

I was planning to do my nematodes this week, but rereading the instructions it says best when souls is damp a d ideally when raining.
We’ve had no rain for almost a week and sunshine forecast for the next week- do you reckon I can still use them now?

Gutted to be wishing for rain when it’s so glorious out!

Also - I was planning to mulch my beds .. not idea before or after ?

sorry -

when soil is damp and ideally when raining

it it better to mulch before or after nematodes?

I would do it, just water well after, and then mulch, as that will keep water in.
Did mine yesterday.

I watered before and after, btw. The soil was already moist, it isn't warm anough to dry it thoroughly beyond the very top, and it is nice and dewy in the morning.

Later in the summer is more of an issue if you do a second or third dose.

Thank you - I did them this evening. Here's hoping they do the trick!

In response to the earlier question, yes I had a slug infested canalside garden and just one application cut the slug population and it never recovered.

It was a PITA as we had no water source so had to half fill the wheely bin, and wheel that down to the canalside...but boy it was worth it.

Mine in my new garden are coming tomorrow. I've watered everywhere tonight in preparation.

I bloody swear by this method of slug management. I've not just bought them willy nilly, slugs are trouncing everything I put in. So I stopped planting out until I've nematoded it all.

I ordered mine this week, with two follow ups as part of the package. I WILL have peas this year - quite excited!

We've been watering all afternoon - first to soak the soil, then the nematodes, then another soak to wash them all through.

Hard work but worth it. I'm planting out seedlings tomorrow to see if they make it as everything is getting chomped at the moment.

@ButtockUp none of those things will deter mice, who absolutely lurrvvee pea seeds. And seedlings too.

@wohmum. A coarse rose will tell you a joke about a bishop and a barmaid, a normal one won't.

@thebellsesmereldathebells

How tiny are they? Are they visible? I have a MAJOR slug and snail problem, but I also have a worm phobia...if they're visibly little wriggling fuckers I won't be able to use them

Cant see them at all but I still made my DH do it for me while I supervised

It is like powder, you can't see anything.

I used ‘todes for vine weevils last year and it was very successful

[quote LadyGardenersQuestionTime]@ButtockUp none of those things will deter mice, who absolutely lurrvvee pea seeds. And seedlings too.

@wohmum. A coarse rose will tell you a joke about a bishop and a barmaid, a normal one won't.[/quote]
Hahaha!