Nematodes 101: When & How to Apply
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Now (early May in Ontario) is the time to apply your nematodes to control grubs in your lawn!
Soil temperatures are now warm enough and rain is forecasted so smart folks will be out just before (or in) the rain applying nematodes so Mother Nature will wash them into the soil where they can find and destroy grubs!
If you have skunks digging holes in your lawn, you have grubs and likely would benefit from applying nematodes. Nematodes are very, very small natural predators that are totally SAFE for pets, child - basically anything except grubs. They dwell in the soil and hunt grubs that hatch into Japanese Beetle, June bugs and other pests.
My whole city .. not even joking.. is infested with grubs.. entire parking lots at gas stations and small store lots .. all my neighbors .. every late nite especially early morning I go into my garage to smoke and I notice 2 to 3 in my garage .. when I open the garage door there’s like 10 all outside… 🤮 been over a week.. 34 years today and I’ve never seen this before my whole life living where I live.. like how is the whole city at once having this bad of an infestation.. 🤮 we ought nuke the city 💀 I’m tempted on getting nematodes and coating my whole damn yard.. 😂
It’s mid July now, can I still use it on my garden and is it safe if it touch my vegetable plants?
If you still have nematodes that are viable and have not expired, you can still apply them and put them on your garden beds. I would not suggest going out and purchasing any at this time because most grubs those nematodes target aren’t active now, they’re in their adult stage at the moment. Fall, like September-October, is going to be another good time to start applying those again.
I am in Florida zone 9a , I have grubs in my compost piles , and use it in my raised beds and containers... while if carefully rake around and sort through the compost to extract the grubs , I now one or two may slip through my inspection .
Will this product work in my raised beds and containers ?
Yup, it can work in any soil you apply them to. The key is to manage expectations of how far down you need them to go to find the grubs. There are different nematodes in each mix you purchase - the one we sell (not available in Florida) has 3 kinds and one of them burrow in the deepest to get grubs that are 9" down. Most don't get that deep in the soil, usually 2-6" down. In a compost pile maybe it's different? Wherever you buy them I'd ask the retailer which nematodes are in the mix and judge from their response if they'd get down far enough in the raised beds to reach the grubs you are finding. Hope that helps! ~ Will
Thank you! You answered my question; "Can I apply before/after a rain?". I was afraid the rain would wash them away like it does pesticides. Good to know that rain is GOOD! Thank you! Hoping my BNs work better than pesticides! 🤞
Please answer this. Can I use it for drainage system against small flies?? probably after system is cleaned and just to make sure there's nothing left
Sorry to say that the strains of nematodes in this type of mix is very specific and will almost certainly download nothing to help minimize your problem. If you knew which type of flies they are and where they lay their eggs - you could apply something more specific to combat them. Mosquito Dunks, for example, are a product that works on fungus gnats, mosquitos and other insects that lay their eggs in damp or wet areas. Sorry, I just don’t think these nematodes will do anything for your problem.
@@willheeman5 Thank u
@@willheeman5 Im looking for flies larva control agent + technique, i already use dunks
I know it’s an old video, but could you tell me what might hurt the nematodes? Does any type of fertilizer or weed killer hurt them? Will putting down Lyme some time afterwards hurt them?
Shouldn't hurt them. So long as you apply them and they're washed into the soil (off the grass blades) with watering or a natural rain, you should be fine.
I am in Mississauga Ontario. How and where do I get the nematodes from?
You'll be able to find them at nearly all Independent Garden Centres - this brand from NIC are live nematodes which are fresh and have a best by date - they're raised here in Ontario. Hope that helps! :)
Now LB has chosen to side with the child growers! I do not support or shop at LB anymore. Support your local stores and people not LB they sold out
The ideal time to apply nematodes is early May in Ontario, but can I still do it in early June and will it work then? I've just now figured out why I've got dead patches and rodent holes in my lawn.
I noticed that the Ortho and the Scotts Hose Sprayers are quite similar. Are they made by the same manufacturer? Also, if you separate the sprayer from the reservoir, you will notice a fine metal-mesh to strain contaminants or pieces of solid fertilizer or weed killer.
Does this metal mesh kill nematodes as they are siphoned into the tube and then sprayed on to a lawn, or are they so small, that the strainer does no harm?
How long can the nematodes stay in the frig?
Each package will have a best before date on it. If you're buying freshly brewed up nematodes it's usually 2-3 months. They're good as long as the date on the package says. :)
@@willheeman5 ok. Thanks. I need to check the package. I bought them a couple of months back but haven’t spread them yet. This will be my first time. I have grubs killing my St Augustine. Hopefully they are still alive. If not, I may have to order more and not wait as long to do what I should have done months ago. Thanks again.
Do you need to remove mulch before spraying your garden
Nope, as long as you can apply the nematodes and then water them in with enough water to penetrate through the mulch and into the soil, you're fine. They'll travel in the water as the delivery agent to get them into the soil where they can move around and start hunting the grubs.
It is now May 3rd in Ontario. Can you specify if it is the right time to apply this product? How long do I need to wait to apply a second dose? One week??? Two weeks??? Next day??? Is it also beneficial to apply in fall, and when is the best time to do so, in an Ontario fall?
When soil temperatures are above 10C you can apply - that means here in Ontario sometime in mid-late April until mid-May (when the grubs pupate and aren't vulnerable to nematodes). You can apply immediately after if you'd like. I'd suggest waiting a few days to 1-2 weeks (at most) to reapply. Do it in a different direction, if you walked the lawn east to west, go north to south - just so you hit each angle and catch any areas you might have missed. Wait too long and you miss your window. Beneficial to apply in the fall - for sure - grubs are smaller and nematodes are more effective then. Usually in September until early October is a good time for that fall application here in (SW) Ontario.
What if there is no rain in the forcast. In southern cal? Can we just water in really good?
Sorry I missed this - if no rain is forecasted you can 100% just water them in. As long as you can drive any water droplets (that nematodes are in) from the blades of grass into the soil, you're good. Rain is just the most convenient, easiest way to do that - not the only way though!
It has been very hot; will the heat negatively effect the nematodes from doing their job or even living? I plan on applying them at dusk.
The biggest thing it could impact is how they get into the ground. Dusk is good, then they sun won't evaporate the water they're in as they get into the soil. That's the risk, that the water dries out before it gets to the ground.
@@willheeman5 I had not thought about that. It hasn’t rained in days and it isn’t expected to rain in a while. I can’t wait any longer as the grubs are doing some real damage to my grass. I will hit the “hottest” spots where the grass is turning yellow from the grubs eating the roots and hopefully I can save some of the grass before it’s too late. Thanks again.
Do nematodes help with anything else? I heard they can be beneficial against mosquitos, is this true?
Lots of different nematodes, most are specialized to work against different prey. These nematodes will work on several bugs (June bugs, European chafer, Japanese beetle). For other insects you'd want to try to find other strains of nematodes!
It is July 21, 2020. Should I wait till August or September to apply my Nematodes or can I apply now?
In Ontario, it's far to early to apply nematodes now. I'd recommend waiting until September so you can ensure the baby grubs have been laid in the soil for nematodes to hunt down.
How to get rid of fleas? I’ve heard these will work against fleas in the yard.
It’s possible to apply nematodes for flea control. The strain used for grub control (in this package for example) is completely different than the strain you’d apply to control fleas. They go after grubs specifically and wouldn’t affect fleas at all.
Cool. How long does it take the nematodes to eliminate the grubs? Would it be good to do a second application a few weeks later just in case?
They can start working in a few days but they do take a bit to kill them. If you have the product left or it's not to large of an area I do suggest a second application - even just to apply in a different angle to cover the spots you might have missed or hit lightly the first time.
@@willheeman5 What I have done in the past are 2 things:
1. I water my lawn for the next several days to ensure that the added watering helps the nematodes burrow into the ground.
2.I also add a second application about a week after the first application, and cut the grass before the second application to ensure that the nematodes do not have to overwork to burrow into the ground.
What kind of applicator is this? Can you link to buy it from your website?
This applicator is one sold by Natural Insect Control, the same Ontario-based company we get our nematodes from. We don't offer them for sale online or for shipping, sorry. We do have the available at our greenhouse. If you're not local, you can find them at any place that also sells NIC nematodes.
@@willheeman5 great thanks!
Is this something that you need to apply each year?
Generally it's best applied annually. You can apply only when the problem is really bad (noticeable) but those who skip a year or more often find the problem comes back soon. Like most things, preventative treatments are a simple way to keep your lawn healthy and lush and not have any issues in the first place.
Should I now my lawn before spraying with nematodes?
Did you mean mow? If it's longer, yes. You'd want to avoid mowing the lawn until all the nematodes have slid down inside the water droplets into the soil. Ideally, you'd give them at least half a day to a day to do this.
@@HeemansLondon awesome. Thanks for the quick reply.
Will this also control fleas in the yard?
This variety of nematode is pretty specific to certain pests but there are different strains and another strain does work on fleas. From our supplier this is the product they'd sell naturalinsectcontrol.com/product.php?id=000000449
Is there a minimum temperature for application?
Yes, the soil temperature needs to be 50F or 10C. You can test it with a meat thermometer in the soil if you have one laying around.
Nematodes eat termites