Snails are herbivores, eating vegetables, fruit, flowers and cereals, as well as rotting plant material. When injured the animal produces a defensive froth of mucus to repel enemies such as aggressive small ants. When it's freezing, the snail alters its blood structure to prevent the formation of ice in its tissues. In dry weather, it seals the shell opening with a thin membrane of dried mucus. This helps retain moisture and protects it from insects. The high levels of slug and snail damage found on the plants protected by mulch was unexpected, especially as many mulches are billed as being repellent to slugs and snails. It is possible that the negative impact of the mulch affected the effectiveness of the other control treatments when they were combined.

They also don’t like exposure to UV, so applying in the early morning or in the evening is recommended. How To Apply Slug Nematodes Slug Nematodes Nematode Nugget: Consider nematodes as part of your holistic garden care strategy. They’re not only effective but also support the natural balance of your garden ecosystem. 🐌 Understanding Nematodes What Are Nematodes? Stir the solution until all carrier contents are dissolved. Now you have your nematode concentrate. Similar to the above slug control methods but less time consuming, employ your local wildlife, such as birds, to remove the slugs for you. Transplantingsturdy plantlets grown on in pots, rather than young vulnerable seedlings. Transplants can be given some protection with clochesMix the nematodes in clean water, stir, dilute if necessary and apply immediately using a watering can, sprayer (remove any filters, nozzle aperture must be at least 1mm) or hose-end feeder. For the organic grower, this is a biological - not chemical - pest control. Unlike a chemical spray, which may drift off target, nematodes are specific to the host pest, so that other wildlife is not affected. Nematode Nugget: Embrace nematodes as allies in your garden, but always follow proper guidelines for the best results. Happy gardening! 🐌

Moreover, they’re approved for use in organic farming, given their natural occurrence and positive impact on maintaining a healthy ecosystem. No Harm to Beneficial Species Effective Against Various Pests: Known as one of the best nematodes for slugs and snails, they target these pests without harming beneficial insects. How do snails reproduce? Snails are hermaphrodite and take up to 2 hours to mate. They lay a batch of about 80 spherical pearly-white eggs into crevices in the topsoil or sheltered under stones. In a year it may lay six batches or so. That's nearly 500 young snails, which will take one or two years to reach maturity. Nematode Nugget: Always follow the instructions when applying nematodes or other natural pest control methods like neem oil. Proper application ensures safety for both plants and animals in your garden. 🐌 Embracing Nature with Confidence Any time from March to October when soil temperatures are above 5°C. Try to apply in the evening, or in dull, cloudy weather to avoid exposure to bright sunlight.Arguably a gardeners number one pest! They feed on a wide range of plants causing severe damage on older plants and killing young plants.

Sterilize Equipment: All equipment and containers must be sterilized to prevent contamination from other microorganisms. Nematode Nugget: Biological slug control with nematodes is not only effective but also safe for other garden inhabitants. Consider them as allies in maintaining a balanced garden ecosystem. 🐌 Benefits of Using Nematodes The Natural Approach: Embracing Nematodes Most slugsfeed in or on the soil surface, but keeled slugs ( Milax species) live and feed mostly in the root zone.You can buy nematodes online. However, they aren't necessarily cheap and you do need to follow the very precise instructions on how to use them. How to use nematodes Gavin Wood, from BASF, Europe’s largest producer of nematodes for use in pest control, and a partner in the research says: 'These early results are useful, in year two we hope to be able to differentiate between damage caused by slugs and snails, as nematodes are not effective against the latter. What are nematodes and how do they work? Slug nematodes they are microscopic, transparent worms, which feed and multiply inside the slug, once the nematodes are inside the slug the slug stops feeding after a few days and then dies within a week. Soil temperatures should be above 5℃ for the nematodes to be active, if applying in the spring. How Do I Apply The Nematodes? One application of Nemaslug provides 300,000 nematodes for every square metre of soil, giving around six weeks control of slugs.

One watering can of 10 Litres should treat an area of up to 10 m 2. Slug Killer Nematodes can also be applied with our Nema Super Sprayer. If you apply Nemaslug in the early autumn you will reduce the number of slugs laying eggs and consequently reduce the new population emerging in the spring. Question: Why use slug nematodes? Nematodes are effective and are safe to use and harmless to children, pets and wildlife. Nematodes live in the soil so, if you can, it is better to apply to the soil. However, if because of dense foliage this is impossible, after application wash them off into the soil with some extra water.No, the area doesn’t need to be clear. The Nematodes will be soaked and absorbed into the soil. Nematodes are safe to use around any plants or produce. If you want to protect your plot from slugs and snails, these trialled remedies just won't cut it. You may need to try something different. What can I do? Nemaslug is applied very simply using a watering can with a coarse rose or with a hose end feeder (we sell both). Nemaslug is a unique product, containing microscopic worms (nematodes) which seek out slugs and stop them feeding on your plants within 3 days and then kill them. Question: Why would I apply slug nematodes in Autumn? This will reduce the number of slugs laying eggs and therefore reduce the new population emerging in the spring.