Referred to as roundworms, beneficial lawn nematodes are microscopic insects that control pests such as weevils, white (lawn) grubs, sod web worms, cutworms, clearwing borers, and chinch bugs. Some nematodes are microscopic. Avoid stresses to turf such as mowing tooshort. When you use nematodes to target the same insect type the different prey-hunting strategies have a combined effect. In this article, we will look at the mechanism of the beneficial nematodes and explain the best months and time of day to apply nematodes to control pests in your grass. To determine the mix rate of nematodes to water:The mix rate of nematodes with water is highly variable due to water pressure, differences in application equipment, how fast or slow you walk while applying, how long your stride is all of these factors play into the 'how to' of applying beneficial nematodes. Leatherjacket Nematodes seek out the leatherjackets and attack the pest by entering natural body openings, releasing bacteria that stops the pest from feeding and quickly killing the pest. With regular nematode applications and effective pest monitoring, you can keep infestations at a low manageable level. Apply 0.25 to 0.5" of water immediately after application. All Rights Reserved. Water daily if required, ensuring the soil does not dry out for at least 2 weeks. Including garden, insect, household and fruit pest control as well as biological control. Timing of applications during the year can be pest-specific to what is being controlled and their life cycle. Can I use a liquid lawn feed after Nematodes have been applied? Air circulation is generally the best method for keeping nematodes viable and solutions properly agitated. You can have a beautiful lawn but being proactive is half the battle. How long do beneficial nematodes last? 171 0 obj <>stream Beneficial nematodes: Deadly for pests, safe for everyone else. You can target a variety of insect pests with the nematodes including Japanese beetles, sciarid fly, onion flies, caterpillars, sawflies, and codling moths, and leather jackets among others. What can you do to combat lawn grubs? Nope. Looking for lawn mowing, fertilization, gutter cleaning, leaf removal, yard cleanup, or something else? In this case, they really are the good guys and can help us rid our grass of other more harmful insect pests. In May, grubs are coming to the surface of your lawn in preparation for becoming beetles. When Should They Be Applied? If you only do one application, it should be in September. You can use hose water if you run it through a water filter first. Cutting grass after nematode application Frequently asked questions about Beneficial Nematodes with information Lawn & Turf Care around two weeks after application. New Vegetable Gardener --- No Backyard for a Garden??? Now youve been warned lets get started! Heres a photo. However, applying more nematodes the first time doesnt guarantee you wont need to apply again. Adult insects generally lay their eggs just before the onset of winter or in winter and the eggs begin hatching in spring or summer. Will Nematodes Live Through The Winter? Thats what Im picturing now . Repeat all of the same steps in the fall as you would in the spring, your lawn has thickened up where it can now crowd out weeds. If you need to store them, it is best to store them in a refrigerator UNOPENED for no longer than 2 weeks. One female will lay up to 60 eggs about 2 inches deep in the soil. Apply the liquid with a watering can or hose attachment system. Adding ice packs to nematode stock solutions will maintain cool temperatures and nematode viability. Knowing the insects exact lifecycle enables you to target them with a high degree of precision. Generally NemAttack, our formulations of Steinernema will stay where you put them, but NemaSeek (Heterorhabditis) will continue moving through the soil until they find a pest to infect. Sales and Customer Service: Four out of every five animals on Earth are nematodes. Beneficial nematodes need time to Nematode Application. Apply on a cloudy day if possible to minimize UV exposure. Slug Nematodes feed and multiply inside the slug until it stops feeding and disintegrates. If applying chemicals to your lawn is not your thing, you could try nematodes the grub-killing ones. Racoons and skunks will happily dig up your lawn looking for these tasty, high protein snacks. Experts say that there are over 25,000 nematode species. I hope you enjoyed our (slightly gory) foray into the under-lawn world of the beneficial nematode. Keep the soil moist for 4 to 7 days after application to ensure best performance. Beneficial nematodes can live and prey on insect pests in your soil for up to 18 months after application as long as the ground doesnt freeze. endstream endobj startxref Apply when soil is moist early in the morning or in the evening. In most cases, nematodes (just like insects) will become dormant during cold weather. Two major factors affecting nematode efficacy is temperature and moisture. In general, harsh winter weather in most parts of the country almost guarantees a significant decline in the population of the nematodes. Mix nematodes into water and gently agitate. endstream endobj 146 0 obj <> endobj 147 0 obj <>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 148 0 obj <>stream Homeowner and property investor Larry James founded Take a Yard in 2020 to bring you the very best outdoor living content, based on his years of experience managing outside spaces. WARNING: Dont purchase beneficial nematodes until its close to the time youre going to apply them because they have a short shelf life. Stump Removal Evenly spray the solution over the ground areas to be treated. Nematodes are microscopic worms that can be found in the soil. * For new customers only. You can also make repeat applications of the nematodes to maximize the pest destruction. You can apply the nematode solution using a watering can or a bucket. For some insect species such as leatherjackets and chafer grubs, the best time to apply nematodes is usually in April and October respectively as these months correspond to the most vulnerable parts of their life cycle. Nema-what? Keep the soil extra moist for about 10 days after application while the nematodes establish themselves. After application, regular watering of the treated area will provide sufficient moisture. Is there anything else we can do to stop the nematodes from spreading/killing our grass, or are we limited to costly measures, such as resodding, or continuous application of chemicals to the lawn? For the last number of years there has been a movement towards more eco friendly lawn seed mixtures. Curl or lawn grubs are pale white and characteristically c shaped. Reach out to a local pest control company today. * Resod the lawn with St. Augustine grass, with appropriate pre-sod chemicals applied, which will also require constant application for the lifetime of the lawn. Couldn't see any grubs under the lawn but the lawn turned brown in patches, likely more from being disturbed from digging. They are also found within the roots. During this time, lightly water the treated area every three or four days. We recommend applying at dusk, to protect the nematodes from UV light and drying out. Plan your application out. We would advise to wait a couple of days for the Nematodes to enter the soil before cutting the lawn. Generally speaking, water every 3-4 days if rainfall does not occur. When can I cut my lawn after applying Nematodes? Mid-summer, something was digging at my lawn (daytime, after mowing lawn). Beneficial nematodes (widely available at garden centers and online), Watering can, hose-end sprayer, backpack sprayer, or pump sprayer. When To Plant Oak Trees? Theses individuals would want to avoid the use of chemicals and other environmentally-unsustainable methods at all costs. too hot (we are around 30C daytime high)? Well explain how to use beneficial nematodes for pest control so you can get rid of these and more than 200 other soil-dwelling pests. If your lawn has grub damage, it's important to have a nematode application done AFTER aerating and overseeding. If correctly applied, you should begin seeing positive results within 3 to 7 days. The second factor that you should keep in mind is timing. If your lawn looks like a war zone this spring (or fall) with dead patches, and torn up grass then its likely you have grubs. Nematodes are soil-dwelling predators. Here are some beneficial nematode producers you can buy from online: Different sources suggest different application rates for nematodes. In Figure 6, the plant height of Bromus inermis decreased with increasing cut times, and the overall performance was as follows: the first cut > the second cut > the third cut. Heres a disturbing video of a nematode exiting an (almost dead) mosquito larva. 145 0 obj <> endobj Commercial Services. You need to mix the nematodes with filtered water because chlorine could kill them. Usually two applications one in fall and one in the spring can break the cycle of grubs. These nematodes measure around 1/25 of an inch to several inches long. A second application of beneficial nematodes is recommended for best results. Overturn the soil. Independent Garden Centres usually carry these types of nematodes. Water just enough that the soil is damp, but not so much that you see pooling on the surface. Are Nematodes harmful to wildlife, animals and children? Nematodes can be free-living, parasitic or predaceous. Julie Graesch is a nematode field development specialist for Becker Underwood. Nematodes are only useful for pest control if theyre alive when you add them to your soil. Since youll water so frequently for those first 10 days, you dont want to use a lot of water, or you might drown your grass and plants. Online orders may take 24-48 hours to process (excluding weekends). How often should I water the area after applying Nematodes? Do your best to spread the water and nematodes in an even layer. If you are unsure about which nematode to use or your target pest is not listed, please call us and one of our sales representatives can guide you to the correct species. Use nematode solutions within two hours if using mechanical circulation and within four hours for air circulation. They attack by boring into pest insects, injecting deadly bacteria and then sucking out the cell contents. Thank goodness theyre on our side (well, some of them at least!). Beneficial nematodes attack these pest insects by boring or biting into them, injecting deadly bacteria and then sucking out the cell contents. Problem/Situation: We live in Orlando, and a year or so ago, we resodded the front of our lawn (about 17,000 square feet) with St. Augustine grass. Set pump pressure below 300 psi and do not apply nematodes through mist nozzles with apertures of 0.5 mm. Pest nematodes attack the root systems of potatoes, lettuce, carrots, peppers and cherry tomatoes. Can I use more than one type of Nematode at the same time? Beneficial nematodes need time to fully parasitize and kill their host, then move onto the next host. This includes the Japanese beetle that is likely to devastate your grass and foliage. How you mix the nematodes with water depends on how theyre packaged when you buy them. Nemaslug uses the nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita. These will subsequently multiply and begin searching for a new host. Nematodes will die after the applications expiration date. Keep the soil slightly moist during the first 7 days after application to help establish the nematodes in the soil. Lawn grubs are the larval stage of certain insects, typically Japanese beetles, Masked chafer, European chafer, Rose chafer, fly larvae, Bill-bugs, Army worms, Strawberry root weevils, Banana Moths, Fungus gnats, June (or May) bug and Black Turfgrass Ataenius. In the following article well outline why nematodes are so beneficial for the health of your grass, and answer many of the common questions about these lethal bugs. Populations of root-knot nematode increase in late-April to early-May and remain elevated through the summer months. We recommend waiting to buy the second round until you get close to the second application date so you dont have to store the nematodes and risk some of them dying. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Nematodes packaged in an inert gel carrying material that dissolves in water. The Beneficial Nematodes are shipped in an easily dissolved formulation that you mix with water. Properly preparing your lawn is essential, this includes raking up any dead grass and top dressing with a good weed free topsoil or triple mix. [], The Voice for the Controlled-Environment Industry, BioSafe Systems Celebrates 25 Years of Sustainable Growth, Ryan Douglas, Ryan Douglas Cultivation LLC, How to Begin Beneficial Nematode Applications, Nematodes for Flea Control (The Definitive Guide) - Pest Strategies, Learning Opportunity: Current Status and Recommendations for Soilless Growing Media, How New LED Strategies Could Make Indoor Farming More Productive and Less Costly, ISO Group Set to Establish First U.S. Operation in Virginia, Reasons to Invest, or Not Invest, in a Vertical Farm. For best results, remember to water your garden well and keep the soil moist for at least two weeks after application. When applying nematodes depends on the lifecycle of the target insect. Check your grub level by digging 1 square foot of brown patch, about 3 inches deep. Nematodes are recommended for use whenever larvae or grubs are present. You can only check that theyve worked by digging up a sample of soil and checking for grubs. Moisten the lawn well prior to application. Then, around a month later, the eggs hatch into grubs. You wont need to spray your entire lawn, only the brown patches. When Nematodes Are Applied To One Area Will They Move To Other Areas? How do you tell if beneficial nematodes are working? All images on this website are either original photography or are licensed through our accounts with Deposit Photos, Canva & Pixabay. Apply when the sun is low on the horizon as the nematodes are photophobic and do not like direct light. Effects and Symptoms of Nematodes on Lawn Grasses. Because larvae feed on plant roots, beneath the soil surface, severe damage can be done before realizing there is a problem. The toxins released in the process will generally kill off most of these host insects in a day or two. This is how nematodes can be very effective in eliminating your grub problem. May 11, 2022 Once you have mixed beneficial nematodes with water, you can no longer store them. Once you figure out how far that initial mix went you can easily do the math to determine how much of the nematode package to use with each re-load. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com & affiliated sites. Youll find beneficial nematodes for sale at most garden centers and from major online retailers like Amazon. How Long Does It Take To See Results? This year I attributed the damage to the brutal winter. This is usually the time when they are moving deep into the overwintering sites in the soil. Applied1 teaspoon of the beneficial nematodes per gallon of water.