Control: Doing it the biological way: Nematodes

There are a while host of ways to control slugs in your garden but one of the increasingly popular methods is biological control.

This could be in the form of large scale predators (birds, hedgehogs, frogs etc.) or you could go small and try Nematodes.

Nemaslug Slug Killer

Nemaslug controls all common species of small to medium sized slugs (up to 8cm – 2.5-3 inches). Start your control regime early and you will be able to target the young slugs growing under the ground feeding on humus.

Nemaslug uses the nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, which was discovered by scientists at the government research institute at Bristol, England.

One application of Nemaslug provides 300,000 nematodes for every square metre of soil, giving at least six weeks control of slugs. This is generally enough time for seedlings and bedding plants to get well established.
Nemaslug is easy to apply and does not leave any unsightly residues. The majority of the slugs will die underground, so don’t expect to see dead slugs lying around.

Apply Nemaslug to moist soil. The soil temperature should be 5ºC (40ºF) or over (this is when plants start to grow). Nematodes are capable of surviving the odd frost; so don’t worry if the temperature falls after you have applied Nemaslug. Metaldehyde based slug pellets are reported not to be effective below 7ºC.

Potatoes are susceptible to slug attack later in the season than most other plants. So you can delay applying Nemaslug till 6-7 weeks before harvest, when the tubers are most likely to be eaten by slugs.

Unlike some controls, Nemaslug continues to work well during wet weather – exactly when you need protection against slugs!

Try it out Natural Slug Killer