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UC IPM Home > Home,
Gardens, Landscapes, and Turf > Nematode
Application Tips
How to Manage Pests
Pests in Gardens and Landscapes
Nematode application tips
You must choose a nematode that is effective
for your pest as indicated under active ingredient. Purchase nematodes
from a reputable source that has properly stored the product and will
supply you with the correct species. Nematodes are highly perishable
and must be used immediately and applied during early evening when sunlight
is at a minimum and soil temperatures are not too hot.
Nematodes function
best with soil temperatures between 60° and 93° F. Do not mix
nematodes with hot water; use cool to lukewarm water. They must be applied
when the susceptible larval stage of the pest is active. Repeat applications
may be necessary. Monitor for killed larvae. Insects infected with Steinernema turn
brownish yellow; those killed by Heterorhabditis turn brick red
to purple. Infected insects may be active for a few days and may not
die for 2 to 5 days after treatment.
For soil treatments, irrigate
area to be treated, mix nematodes with water according to the label
directions, and drench the soil, agitating the mixture continuously.
Watering the soil afterward helps to move nematodes deeper in to the
soil, but care must be taken not to flood the soil so that standing
water remains, because nematodes cannot infect if too much water is
present. Irrigate again in 3 to 4 days to keep soil moist.
Applying nematodes to trees for controlling pests |
For treating carpenterworms and clearwing moths, apply to trunk or
branch burrows when
larvae are active and pushing out frass, usually in summer. Mix
nematodes with distilled water in a squeeze bottle at a rate of about
1,000,000 to the ounce, insert the tube as deeply as possible, and squirt
directly into
the hole. Continue to apply until the water dribbles
out. Agitate the applicator frequently. Mark the tunnel entrance
with a bit of grafting wax and check it in about a week to see
if the larvae have pushed out more frass before dying. Plug frass-filled
holes with wax, spray with colored paint, and return 1 week later. If
frass continues to be pushed out, the larvae were not killed and you should reapply nematodes.
You may want to purchase a fresh batch.
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