I did the recommended 3 applications 6 weeks apart a few years ago and it definitely knocked the slug population right back. Since then I've only done one application every other year. I still have to do slug patrols and I lose a proportion of tender plants (strawberries mostly - the fruit that is) but the overwhelming, not-a-single-leaf-left-on-anything problems I had before I blitzed them have not recurred. I assume I'll have to do another blitz one of these years as they gradually build up again, but not every year. I couldn't afford it, apart from anything else
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
there is new data coming out on these so called wildlife friendly pellets eg here
Clearly, molluscicides containing iron phosphate and EDTA or EDDS chelating agents may present significant environmental hazards to earthworms, domestic animals and humans and these issues need further investigation. The registration statuses of these chemicals in USA and Europe should be reviewed in light of these new data and conclusions.
Well anything in large doses could be a hazard. The the idea with Ferric phosphate is that the molluscs crawl away & die so are less likely to be picked up by birds hedgehogs etc If used sparingly the ferric phospate should breakdown in the soil. I would love to be able not to use these things at all but when it's a case of keeping a crop or bed full of plants for me its a last resort but I will use them. Last year was particularly bad for slugs, I was helping with a schools garden & one week we planted out some lettuce we had grown in modular cells ourselves. The following week there was only bare earth even the stems had gone. This happened 3 times,then I resorted to pellets round the outside of the deep beds at last the children had some lettuce to crop. The pellets were never near the actual crop so all was safe for the humans at least.
My point to rosemummy was that the snails will be largely unaffected by nematodes and by removing the competition from slugs the snail population may increase. I have experienced this myself. I understand fully that many people do not like using pellets even the so called organic ones. I use all methods: Nematodes, Copper tape, physical barriers, coffee grounds & hand removal- pellets are my last resort.
thanks all, Itoo use only the ferric pellets very very sparingly , however this year I'm also trying the wool pellets, now so fayr ( of course after I say this they'll all be eaten to bits!) this year, my delphiniums and lupins are all 3 or 4 inches high with not a nibble...goodness hope we don't get more snails, I went out and collected some nights last year, there were loads, especially living in the stone walls in the back garden and at the top of the sweet pea supports everywhere. Raisingirl that seems a good idea, the nematodes are prohibitively expensive
I hate using pellets but I've had to resort to it after last year's onslaught. I've combined it with wool pellets, which work very well - only problem is you have to refresh after a few weeks due to rainfall. Apparently hair and animal fur from grooming work in the same way.. but most of mine gets taken by the birds. I'm not sure I can cover the entirety of my garden with nematodes, it would cost a fortune
my front and back gardens combined only ass up tp around 40 square metres, and to keep up the nematodes til late summer would be going on £50, that is a fair outlay, goodness knows what it would cost for a larger garden
Nematodes get the slugs and they get you in the back pocket but worth every penny! if you add up the cost of destruction to plants it soon gets to £50.
I found that even after one season's worth of sachets the slug numbers were really knocked back - and years later they are still more manageable. (The nematodes go back into the soil when the slug dies and they wait for emerging slug). My snails are hunted by my team, Buffy my resident toad and the thrushes.
So far the nematodes combined with wool pellets and picking a few snails from their hidey holes in the walls seem to be working well, all my delphiniums and lupins are6 ins high, lovely and healthy with not a nibble! Does anyone know why you have to reapply every 6 weeks exactly? dare I go 7?! think this year I will try them all summer and see how the cost weighs against results
HI, I'm new to your forum, interesting as I didn't know that you could use nematodes to help irradiate ?...!! I have a garden infestation of LEATHER Jackets which have eaten two beautiful lawns and now l have found them under the gravel path membrane and they move through the round gravel and slate gravel so freely it's so scary ??... Help is needed.
I have put the Leather Jacket nematodes down yesterday (22nd April) did everything according to the destructions ? and at midnight the patio was covered with the squirmy grubs and ? and slugs.
Of course I had to go out and give them a hug...NOT! I gave them a haircut...
Can I put a mixture of fine gravel, good compost and grass seeds onto the lawn now???
The lawn has been raked well and then cut and raked a 2nd time. Then nematodes put down.
How long should I wait?? Any advice would be most WELCOME.
I love ❤️ your forum, should have found you earlier ??...
HI Foxy, I got mine from green gardener and found them helpful for advice, havn't had your leather jacket problem, so can't help, sorry. My garden is still at the moment amazingly low on slugs, I'm orderin 2nd batch of nematodes today, I'm also using a frw wool pellets just round delphs and lupins but gosh I can't believe it ( it has been a fairly dry spring so far (er... til this week!))
Posts
I did the recommended 3 applications 6 weeks apart a few years ago and it definitely knocked the slug population right back. Since then I've only done one application every other year. I still have to do slug patrols and I lose a proportion of tender plants (strawberries mostly - the fruit that is) but the overwhelming, not-a-single-leaf-left-on-anything problems I had before I blitzed them have not recurred. I assume I'll have to do another blitz one of these years as they gradually build up again, but not every year. I couldn't afford it, apart from anything else
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
there is new data coming out on these so called wildlife friendly pellets eg here
Clearly, molluscicides containing iron phosphate and EDTA or EDDS chelating agents may present significant environmental hazards to earthworms, domestic animals and humans and these issues need further investigation. The registration statuses of these chemicals in USA and Europe should be reviewed in light of these new data and conclusions.
Well anything in large doses could be a hazard. The the idea with Ferric phosphate is that the molluscs crawl away & die so are less likely to be picked up by birds hedgehogs etc If used sparingly the ferric phospate should breakdown in the soil. I would love to be able not to use these things at all but when it's a case of keeping a crop or bed full of plants for me its a last resort but I will use them. Last year was particularly bad for slugs, I was helping with a schools garden & one week we planted out some lettuce we had grown in modular cells ourselves. The following week there was only bare earth even the stems had gone. This happened 3 times,then I resorted to pellets round the outside of the deep beds at last the children had some lettuce to crop. The pellets were never near the actual crop so all was safe for the humans at least.
My point to rosemummy was that the snails will be largely unaffected by nematodes and by removing the competition from slugs the snail population may increase. I have experienced this myself. I understand fully that many people do not like using pellets even the so called organic ones. I use all methods: Nematodes, Copper tape, physical barriers, coffee grounds & hand removal- pellets are my last resort.
thanks all, Itoo use only the ferric pellets very very sparingly , however this year I'm also trying the wool pellets, now so fayr ( of course after I say this they'll all be eaten to bits!) this year, my delphiniums and lupins are all 3 or 4 inches high with not a nibble...goodness hope we don't get more snails, I went out and collected some nights last year, there were loads, especially living in the stone walls in the back garden and at the top of the sweet pea supports everywhere. Raisingirl that seems a good idea, the nematodes are prohibitively expensive
I hate using pellets but I've had to resort to it after last year's onslaught. I've combined it with wool pellets, which work very well - only problem is you have to refresh after a few weeks due to rainfall. Apparently hair and animal fur from grooming work in the same way.. but most of mine gets taken by the birds. I'm not sure I can cover the entirety of my garden with nematodes, it would cost a fortune
Last edited: 22 March 2017 09:05:45
my front and back gardens combined only ass up tp around 40 square metres, and to keep up the nematodes til late summer would be going on £50, that is a fair outlay, goodness knows what it would cost for a larger garden
Nematodes get the slugs and they get you in the back pocket but worth every penny! if you add up the cost of destruction to plants it soon gets to £50.
I found that even after one season's worth of sachets the slug numbers were really knocked back - and years later they are still more manageable. (The nematodes go back into the soil when the slug dies and they wait for emerging slug). My snails are hunted by my team, Buffy my resident toad and the thrushes.
Take heart rosemummy you INVESTED fifty quid!
MLx
So far the nematodes combined with wool pellets and picking a few snails from their hidey holes in the walls seem to be working well, all my delphiniums and lupins are6 ins high, lovely and healthy with not a nibble! Does anyone know why you have to reapply every 6 weeks exactly? dare I go 7?! think this year I will try them all summer and see how the cost weighs against results
HI, I'm new to your forum, interesting as I didn't know that you could use nematodes to help irradiate ?...!! I have a garden infestation of LEATHER Jackets which have eaten two beautiful lawns and now l have found them under the gravel path membrane and they move through the round gravel and slate gravel so freely it's so scary ??... Help is needed.
I have put the Leather Jacket nematodes down yesterday (22nd April) did everything according to the destructions ? and at midnight the patio was covered with the squirmy grubs and ? and slugs.
Of course I had to go out and give them a hug...NOT! I gave them a haircut...
Can I put a mixture of fine gravel, good compost and grass seeds onto the lawn now???
The lawn has been raked well and then cut and raked a 2nd time. Then nematodes put down.
How long should I wait?? Any advice would be most WELCOME.
I love ❤️ your forum, should have found you earlier ??...
Kind regards
Foxy
Last edited: 23 April 2017 11:38:46
HI Foxy, I got mine from green gardener and found them helpful for advice, havn't had your leather jacket problem, so can't help, sorry. My garden is still at the moment amazingly low on slugs, I'm orderin 2nd batch of nematodes today, I'm also using a frw wool pellets just round delphs and lupins but gosh I can't believe it ( it has been a fairly dry spring so far (er... til this week!))