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By Nathan Jackson Spring is here and gardeners everywhere are hard at work preparing for another season of fresh veggies and pretty flowers. This is a time of hope and possibility. Dreams of bountiful harvests and aromatic bouquet's abound. What could possibly stand in your way? Bugs and to me more specific, plant eating bugs. They have survived the long winter and, like us, have been looking forward to spring. The weather turns warm and the delicious plants start to grow. Its a great time for a pest bug to emerge from the soil to search out your tastiest treats. All your hard work digging and planting will soon be an open buffet for thousands of little mouths. Even that beautiful lawn you love so much will soon be literally crawling with bugs. You didn't put in those long back breaking hours for nothing. You aren't going to just sit there and let them have free run of the place. So, what can you do to protect your plants and keep those pests from becoming a problem? Predator Nematodes attack nearly every soil pest that invades your garden.
Not to be confused with pest nematodes, Predator Nematodes attack only insects, never plants, and they're harmless to earthworms. If an insect spends part or all of its life cycle resting in the soil (over 90% of insects do) Nematodes attack it by actually invading the insect's body. They seek out their prey, detecting insects by temperature or the release of methane gas. Once inside their host, Predator Nematodes shed their cuticle (a protective outer covering) and release symbiotic bacteria into the mid gut of the host insect. This bacterium is what kills the pest insect. The Nematodes feed and reproduce inside the host until only a "shell" is left behind. More Nematodes then emerge to repeat the cycle.
Steinernema carpocapsae & Heterorhabditis heliothedis are particularly non-selective and very effective against a broad spectrum of pests. They control over 250 different types of pests, including cutworms, Japanese beetle grubs, root weevils, corn borers, wireworms, fungus gnat larvae, and thrips pupae. Almost anybody with a lawn has experienced unexplained brown spots. These are often caused by pests eating the grass roots. Nematodes will kill these root feeders, giving your lawn a chance to grow back in. Predator Nematodes are easy to apply. You simply mix them with water to form a Nematode "concentrate", and pour or spray the concentrate over the soil. It is best to release them in the early morning or evening, because sunlight harms Nematodes so you want them in the soil before they get exposed to intense light. Nematodes need some moisture and do best when the soil is kept moist but not saturated with water. Some growers have experimented with spraying Nematodes directly on plant foliage during dark hours while at the same time keeping the humidity high. Nematodes have been known to actually crawl into leaf-miner tunnels this way, and have been used against other pests as well. The highest quality Predator Nematodes are raised on a diet of live insects. Some brands are raised on an artificial diet, and although they may be less expensive they are not nearly as vigorous as those fed live foods. Higher quality Nematodes reproduce and feed faster. Nematodes applied in the spring and fall will attack pests before they become a problem. Keep your soil moist and healthy and your Nematodes will give you months of pest control.
Nathan Jackson is the owner of Nature's Control and Ladybug Indoor Gardens. You can send your specific bug questions to nathan@naturescontrol.com. For more information, to request a catalog, or to find a local distributor, check out www.naturescontrol.com or call (541) 245-6033.
This article was originally published in Garden & Greenhouse Magazine. Garden & Greenhouse is written for small commercial growers, hobby greenhouse owners and indoor/outdoor gardeners and is free to qualified readers. For more information visit www.GardenAndGreenhouse.net.
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