Nematodes

[Dorothy rouse]

I have purchased a pack of nematodes, currently sitting in my fridge. Please has anyone any advice? What crops are most likely to benefit from their use? ( or is it a waste of money?)

Thanks

[Small pumpkin]

Personally I would use them it with as many of your crops as possible. I try to put mine on the beds a few days before I plant up, mainly because I don't have a course enough rose for my watering can so it's a bit tricky covering the bed evenly specially if there's plants already in place. I use them every year. Definitely not a waste of money. I think there brilliant. I ordered my second lot yesterday.

[muddled]

I also have nematodes in my fridge!

Evidence (from other gardeners) is that they really do work.
However, I recently read an article that said the effect on bumble bees is devastating. I'm looking into it, or maybe someone on here has some knowledge?
From what I've read the bumbles are affected via direct contact with treated ground...which would make sense as bumbles live and raise their babies in the ground...and I'm trying to establish for certain if covering the ground after application will prevent harm. After all, I'm covering most areas of my plot with fleece, netting or mulch anyway at this time of year anyway.

I really love bumble bees

I'll go and see if I can find the article before you use your nematodes....

Okay. found an article but don't know how to share it (I'm such a luddite ) but it says that 80% of bumble bees were killed if exposed to soil treated within four days...I'm trying to clarify this.
Before using them I need to know...

How long after using nematodes is the bumble bee casualty rate down to zero?
Has anyone else come up with similar results? (one study could be flawed)
And am I sure they mean the bees in contact with soil treated up to four days previously or might they mean the bees died within four days of coming into contact with treated soil full stop?

I'll get back to you (again)

[Small pumpkin]

I didn't know that about the bumble bees!

[Guest]

Am I mis-reading? Sorry if it has been stated but nematodes for what? I thought they vary depending on what pest you are trying to target I use them for weevil but hard to say how much they work as I only tend to manage one treatment

[Dorothy rouse]

Oh gosh, I thought the whole point about them was that they were 'safe' and didn't harm wildlife, you can't win can you.

I hope they will be ok anyway.

I love bumble bees also, and have begun to notice quite a lot around already.

[Dorothy rouse]

I was hoping 'slugs' , am now to have a read of the packet!

[Dorothy rouse]

This is Nemaslug! And it says safe for pets and wildlife and bees!

Sorry I confused,you NG

[Small pumpkin]

That's why I use them as well because they say safe for everything I care about?

[muddled]

Am I mis-reading? Sorry if it has been stated but nematodes for what? I thought they vary depending on what pest you are trying to target I use them for weevil but hard to say how much they work as I only tend to manage one treatment

Well quite!
This is what makes me dubious...the article (a lottie friend sent me on face ache) doesn't give enough information at all and I need to find more details and/or corroboration (I'm sure I've not spelled that right).

But I, and sure most of us, would be gutted if I used them and found that they killed bumbles so I mentioned it when Dorothy said she had some in the fridge.
I had planned to get some hard facts first but how would Dorothy have felt if I told her this the day after?
I'm still trying to find out more....

[muddled]

This looks a bit better (though I haven't read it all yet) what do we all think?
I'd really appreciate peoples views here because, well because I feel a bit out of my depth

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4655097/

[Dorothy rouse]

Complicated article! Think the final page suggests that the evidence is inconclusive? If the product is not safe for bees, they should be changing the wording on their packaging.

[muddled]

I think the final paragraph says there's not much evidence because no-one is looking?

IF I use my nematodes I will certainly cover the area that I treat.
Also, I can't find my glasses (and no, for once they're not on my head) but the article suggests that one type of nematodes only hurts bees that actually come in contact with treated soil (so none if you cover it up) and another variety actually colonizes the poor bee and would therefore affect all of her hivemates/family is she flys back to them and dies there. When I can see I will check to see what variety is in my nemaslug.

Its horrible though isn't it?
You pay four times the price of pellets in order to protect other forms of wildlife and then it turns out you might be murdering bumble bees!
I'm gutted

[Jungle Jane]

I've been reading & found that they can't give you a straight answer anywhere. I'm looking at nemaslug & m osloensis,which is the bacteria in nemaslug. Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita alone is unable to kill the slug host.
Pathogenicity of Moraxella osloensis, a Bacterium Associated with the Nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, to the Slug Deroceras reticulatum

M osloensis-
"The bacterium is considered an opportunistic human pathogen and has been found to cause diseases, such as endocarditis (22), osteomyelitis (23), central venous catheter infection (4), and meningitis (11). M. osloensis has also been found to be associated with Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita(Rhabditida: Peloderinae), a lethal nematode parasite of slugs"
Pathogenicity of Moraxella osloensis, a Bacterium Associated with the Nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, to the Slug Deroceras reticulatum

I don't know what to think,needs more looking into but I don't like the link with human diseases,I've never used nemaslug or pellets but nemaslug could just be less toxic to wildlife because of the activity of the p hermaphrodita but I don't know if they'd use bees as a host if there was no other when they're in their third generation,it's all very scientific. Maybe these people might know the facts?
Contact | Bumblebee Conservation Trust

[muddled]

deary me...I have, quite literally, opened a can of worms here!

The more I read the more muddled I become!

So now...in an effort to grow my children more healthy food...I am introducing a bacteria linked to meningitis and this in order to save wildlife while growing healthy food and it might kill the bees that pollinate the healthy food that isn't really healthy after all cos its got menigitis bacteria all over it?

I'm feeling slightly hysterical,
I think I need a lie down.......