Allotments 4 All

Hi all.  When in the year have folks found nemaslug effective till?  The speil says they can withstand 'light frost' but I've got quite a heavy clay so not sure if its worth buying some now?

Just lost all my swedes, brussels sprouts and pumpkins to the buggers and starting to lose patience >:(

Hi mubgrub
Sorry but what is a Nemaslug

I can answer that one :)  It's rare I know the answer to anything on here!

Nemaslug is an organic way of getting rid of slugs...as I understand it, it comes as a powder, you mix it up with water, and pour it onto your plot.

The actual "nematodes" within the poweder are microscopic worms, they parasitise the slugs and basically eat them from the inside out.

At least, I think so, but I'm happy to be corrected.

Quote from: suzylou on August 26, 2005, 20:52:37
I can answer that one :)  It's rare I know the answer to anything on here!

Nemaslug is an organic way of getting rid of slugs...as I understand it, it comes as a powder, you mix it up with water, and pour it onto your plot.

The actual "nematodes" within the poweder are microscopic worms, they parasitise the slugs and basically eat them from the inside out.

At least, I think so, but I'm happy to be corrected.

Pretty much spot on, they're impressiv ethings, using slugs to breed and killing them in doing so -- it's all a bit like Alien, I'm just glad there is nothing similar preying on us.

MRSA

Quote from: Trenchboy on August 26, 2005, 22:33:43
MRSA

I meant in a scale sense, like millions of earth worm sized creatures bursting from our noses.

This is an extract from a paper I wrote once, hope it helps:
Prevention and control treatments and methods.
Physical and cultural: Hand pick and destroy active slugs morning and evening. Check plants regularly for signs and symptoms of infestation. Copper strips, sharp sand, ashes and grit can be placed around choice plants as a deterrent. Encourage natural predators like frogs, toads, hedgehogs and birds by providing ponds and dense cover for habitats. Cultivation of the soil in very cold, dry weather exposes slugs and eggs, which may die or be eaten. Plants with woody stems tend not to suffer from slug attack, and Allium sp. tend to be unaffected. Traps filled with beer can be used, the slug is attracted to the beer, but cannot escape. Debris where slugs can hide should be removed.
Biological â€" together with benefits and limitations: Introduce a parasitic nematode such as Phasmorhabditis hermaphrodita. This is purchased as eggs that are mixed with water and applied to the soil. They need a minimum temperature of 5oC but are more active at around 20oC. They need moist soil conditions to move around in the soil, and enter the slug’s body releasing a bacterium. This causes the slug to stop feeding and eventually it dies. The benefit of using this method is that it is harmless to humans and other creatures, so crops can be eaten safely, and predators can eat the slugs. The nematodes will need to be applied repeatedly every six weeks for best effect.

In practice I have found that the area of my allotment where many bags of sand were put on is far less prone to slug attack than the other areas.

Of course, I have just remembered that hookworm and opinworm are nematodes, but fortunately are own parasitic brand don't kill us when they infest us.

I hope there are no crafty slug biologists currently devloping 'nemaman'--a new strain of super hookworm--deep in some secret underground slug laboratory.  :o

ok, thanks guys. If they're active down to 5c I won't be wasting my money, it should be warm enough for the six week period so I think I'll give it a try in combination with collars, beer traps AND bran.... If I loose my dobies brassicas I think I'll need nemaman for personal use :(

We tried some nemaslug on our allotment this year. My wife was quite keen to try it more than me. We put it down in June. It was very expensive (£8), and I can’t say I noticed any favourable results. It is an approved organic method of controlling slugs, but its currently far too expensive in my opinion.