Re: nematodes

From: "Derek Burch" derek at horticulturist.com> on 2002.02.25 at 00:41:25(8215) Ron, unless this is a very strange member of the genus, these nematodes are not interested in plant tissue. There is a close relative under test in Europe against slugs and snails, and again, this one is no threat to plants. If the ants that are bothering you are the little fire ant - Wasmannia (the one that is very tiny but easily seen in quantity as little moving russet patches between stored pots or under tree bark [or almost anywhere else in my garden where they drop off trees onto me while I work]) - the nematode probably won't help much since they are probably a passive soil inhabiting type that latches onto a passing prey but does not go hunting them down. If you have the imported or the native fire ant, these might help, although I don't remember hearing about them for this purpose. Fire ants, by the way will slaughter your plants if the mood takes them. I'm not sure how they are with monocots, but they strip the bark and conducting tissue right off dicots when they once start in on them. If you use the nematode, please keep us (me) posted. Derek

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