RE: [compost_tea] Slugs and Tea

From: Judi Stewart <js_at_olympus.net>
Date: Sun, 16 May 2004 08:53:16 -0700

Last year, I tried to find a supply of the Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita
to dispatch the slugs in my garden. After much time searching, I didn't
find an outlet in the U.S. Though I did locate just one supplier on
Canada's east coast. I was also told the nematodes wouldn't survive the
trip from east to west as they had to be kept refrigerated. There was
probably some other glitch as well. Could have been the time of year I
found them; it would have been too cool to have applied them. After
reading this piece, I don't think these nematodes would have been of
much use to me. By the time I see the slugs, they've already reached the
4" mark and climbing.
 
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/pathogens/phasmarhabditis_h
.html
 
Judi
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Stuart Baxter [mailto:stu.baxter_at_virgin.net]
Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 4:25 AM
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Slugs and Tea
 
Hi Mike
 
I have never used Nemaslug, and Ted was right about it being
Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita (just checked) which is a bacteria feeding
'eel worm'. I prefer to let the birds, hedgehogs and beetles deal
naturally with them, although the yucca (used in AACT as a sticker?) as
a repellent looks interesting. Introducing a huge number of nematodes
seems unnatural when they have enough predators. There may be a problem
importing it too.
 
Using dead bugs may be a way to go too. Dumping them on the compost heap
might introduce natural controls. I'm sure I read somewhere that each
plant carries the organisms capable of killing it too (?).
 
Be well
 
Stuart
 
 




Received on Sun May 16 2004 - 13:00:12 EDT

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