Why not the 'organic' method of baiting and killing slugs....Slug-0 or Escar-go? Both are made of environmentally safe iron phosphate carried in an attractive (to slugs) bait. Slugs will go to this bait before they'll go to plants!

How well nematodes will work depends on the kind of soil you have, temperatures, and other environmental factors. The have to be stored and handled properly and introduced correctly. I'm sure that detailed directions will come with your packaging.

slugs are the bane of the hosta people ... try that forum.. and use the SEARCH function for slugs ... and find maybe a thousand posts on how to deal with such ...

the most common being one part vinegar or ammonia to 10 parts water in a pump tank .. and spraying them ... they sorta die like the wicked witch of the north ...

there is no easy way to do it ... just hard work ...

good luck

ken

Nematodes are not organic?? I would think they are since they're natural slug predators.

I've been trying to find more on people's actual experiences with nematodes, but in my reading I find they're not yet available in the U.S. so that might be why I'm having trouble getting firsthand accounts. Anyway, I bought it and used it, and now it's a matter of waiting to see if it works.

Of course nematodes are 'organic'. But you said that you didn't like using poisons, which is why I asked why you didn't want to try the exceedingly effective iron phosphate products. Just curious.

Parasitic nematodes are species specific. The kind of nematode that affects slugs does not exist naturally in NA. At least not that have been discovered YET! Of course, introducing foreign bio-controls for native pests is something that has been commonly done, but a great deal of research has to come first. We need to make sure that this European nema won't cause problems over here. It won't be long, though, I'm sure. Scientists have also been searching for a native slug-parasitic nematode population for quite some time.

Are you confusing slugs with grubs? Beneficial nematodes are typically sold for controlling grubs, fleas and other turf insects, but I've never seen slugs on the list of targeted pests.

I used beneficial nematodes for several years, but to be honest, I found them extremely inconvenient to apply, and I never knew if I was getting the right coverage. I always had to apply them when the ground was wet to a depth of 8", the soil temperature was warm enough, and I had to do it in the dark, preferably when it was raining.

My husband used to laugh at me, out there at night with a flashlight, watering in the rain. I'd come in soaking wet and he'd say, "You do know there wasn't really anything in that little sponge you squeezed into the watering can, don't you?"

Tina McG

Tina, the UK (and other countries) has been marketing a SLUG parasitic nematode for quite some time. They occur in natural populations in many parts of the world. But because they do NOT occur in North America, and because not enough research has been done on what kind of trouble they might get into if we brought them over here, they are not available for distribution to the US and Canada.

I agree that it can be a pain in the you-know-what to apply beneficial nematodes properly.

Thanks Rhizo, that's good to know. It's also nice to know the USDA is treading cautiously about bringing the nematode over here. After that Asian ladybeetle debacle, I hope they learned a valuable lesson!

Tina McG

Hmmm, I'm not sure those nematodes worked very well. I wonder if it's because my beds are all heavily mulched... maybe they don't survive well on mulch? I did everything exactly as the package directed, but a week or so later I went out on a wet day and killed 86 slugs. Last night I got another 72. Yuck, I hate slugs.

If you are expecting a quick response from nematodes, you'll be sorely dissapointed. Sounds like it's time for some organic iron phosphate bait! ;-)