Question about using beneficial nematodes for borers

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peony8 Westford, MA(Zone 6a) May 26, 2009

I would like to avoid using borer-miner poison on my rhodies, and I recently learned I can sprinkle beneficial nematodes in my garden.

I've found an online source that sells Steinernema feltiae, but I was wondering what this means: "For boring insects apply as a water suspension when there are visible tunnels."

Do they mean mix the nematodes into a spray bottle? I don't think I have ever seen a nematode. Are they that tiny that they can come out the nozzle of a watering spray can? They look kind of chunky, and I hope I don't have to make a smoothie out of them! :)

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/hort/news/hortmatt/2005/06hrt05a9f9.jpg

Has anyone here successfully used nematodes to get rid of stem borers?

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) May 26, 2009

I have no experience using them, but nematodes are extremely tiny so you should have no problem pouring them out of a watering can. They are probably mixed with something else--once you add to water and shake it around it'll disperse. Since they say a "suspension" that implies to me that it won't completely dissolve, it'll look a little like muddy water so you'll have to shake it up periodically or else the nematodes will settle to the bottom of the can. And I also wouldn't use a sprayer--since a suspension doesn't dissolve, it'll probably clog your sprayer so I'd use a watering can instead, at least that's a bit easier to unclog (although if you have a watering can that doesn't have the rose with the tiny holes that would probably work easier--I have small watering cans that just have a narrow opening rather than the rose on the end...like the one in this pic http://www.made-in-china.com/image/2f0j00NMYaZpyJAGqrM/Watering-Can-S-379-.jpg )

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peony8 Westford, MA(Zone 6a) May 26, 2009

I have both kinds of watering cans.

Thanks for the feedback. I had nightmare visions of me and my blender and the poor creatures.

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