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[top]
Award Winning Nursery
Award winning nursery, Ferring Nursery near Worthing, would not have such superb plants on offer if it were not for their
use of nematodes – Nemaslug and Nemasys Vine Weevil Killer.
The nursery grows over two million plants, from pansies through to shrubs and palms. They have been supplying the
commercial and retail markets for 31 years including many Sussex local authorities. The nursery has won numerous awards
including the Best Highways category of South East in Bloom and Best Highways for the whole country for Rustington.
Ferring grows plants as naturally as possible so unlike many nurseries the plants at Ferring spend a lot of time outdoors.
Several intense crops a season are grown. Plants start off in polytunnels and glasshouses and then go outside to harden
off until sold so they are strong.
Spread over 4.5 acres of shingled growing space means slugs can be a massive problem and Ferring prefers to use natural
pest controls. Mike Harwood is the man responsible for ensuring plants are in tip top condition when they are planted out
or sold and he liaises closely with his nematode advisor, Neil Helyer at Fargro, to ensure he works with nature to protect
his plants.
“Nemaslug is an essential part of our growing year,” says Mike. “We carefully watch our plants and as soon as we see a
problem we are on to it. Using Nemaslug to kill slugs is so quick and easy. It has made a 90% difference to our slug
problem and I have discovered other ways to increase on that performance which I shall put into practice next year.”
Mike waters the ground 3 days before use and then applies the nematodes using a Dosatron. Batches of Nemaslug in 10 litres
of water are mixed up then pumped from the container to a drencher hose. Everything is done by hand and the results are
almost immediate.
“We didn’t really have a reliable way of controlling the slugs before Nemaslug. We tried a garlic based product but it
didn’t really work and everyone thought they were in France!
“Our autumn pansy crop started to get affected by slugs in 2010 but we soon sorted it. When it was dry during the summer
the slugs were dormant and went right into the ground. Then the rain come along in August, which coincided with the pansy
crop going outdoors and the slugs were back with a vengeance. We soon nipped the problem in the bud with a dose of Nemaslug.
“Slugs can also come in on pots, hide on trays or come in on the feathers or feet of birds so we never know when we are
going to be affected. The cost of Nemaslug compared to the loss in value of our crop or the cost in manpower for people
to rectify damage, inspecting each plant and picking off damaged leaves and stray slugs is negligible,” adds Mike.
“It used to be quite common for 4,000 out of 10,000 boxes of pansies grown to be damaged. The grey field slug tends to be
main the culprit and it is so tiny to see,” says Mike, “so I am really pleased that Nemaslug works very well and it is
good to know that we are using a natural product. “We don’t have a vine weevil problem but late summer every year we do
take precautions and treat the whole nursery. We have never had a problem but we feel it is better to be safe than sorry.”
[top]
Successful Codling Moth Control
In the autumn of 2009 every apple picked from the three apple trees in Joan Delaney’s Surrey garden had been attacked by
Codling Moth. As the trees were forty years old she did consider chopping them down but instead decided to treat them with
Nemasys Codling Moth Killer. The three trees were treated with the nematode drench on three consecutive weeks in late summer.
When the apples appeared in 2010 they were bigger and juicer than they had been for years and only the odd apple had even
the slightest blemish. Joan picked a bumper crop and they were still in good condition at Christmas.
In 2010 to make absolutely sure that the next year’s crop was just as good Joan drenched the trees again. Watering the
trees with a hose, she soaked them. She then mixed the codling moth killer into a hose-end feeder, shook it to mix the
solution and drenched the trunks and main branches with the mixture letting it also soak into the ground beneath the
canopy. Any nooks and crannies, and especially where one of the trees had been grafted, were soaked with the solution,
watering it in thoroughly. Let’s hope she picks a bumper crop once again in 2011.
[top]
Getting Even Greener
As part of its drive for sustainability, Becker Underwood, the producers of Nemaslug and Nemasys, have carried out a
life-cycle analysis (LCA) of Nemaslug. The analysis looks at sustainability from raw materials to energy and water use,
packaging, toxicity, emissions and waste. The purpose is to compare it to other products (such as metaldehyde pellets) and
to identify areas where the products can be improved in a sustainable world.
Daniel Krohn of Becker Underwood, who is based in the USA and in charge of the LCA process, told Nemasys News, “I believe
LCAs are going to become increasingly important and that’s one reason why we intend to integrate LCA into our R&D process.
By assessing a product right through its lifecycle, consumers will be able to compare the sustainability of one product
against another and make informed choices. It will also lead to new ideas that help us grow in a sustainable way.”
A good demonstration of this approach is that Becker Underwood has reduced its energy carbon emissions whilst at the same
time growing its business. In addition, Becker Underwood has contracted to purchase REC’s (Renewable Energy Credits – Wind
Power) to offset 100% of its electricity use for the next three years. Although this does not directly reduce the carbon
footprint, it does help build more renewable energy capacity and add more clean energy to the grid.
[top]
Destructive Root Flies – Now Help is to Hand
Carrot Root fly are the most common vegetable pests and Nemasys Grow Your Own has been specially formulated to control it
and other pests.
Root flies are the most destructive and difficult to control pests for vegetable gardeners and you never know exactly
when they are going to attack. There are two or three distinct generations of root fly each year and, depending where you
live, they can appear anytime from mid-April through to August.
To help you try to establish when you are likely to be attacked there is an extremely useful website that you can consult
- /hdcpestbulletin/carrot_parsnip/carrot_fly
The female fly looks similar to a housefly. She seeks out her favourite young host plants and lays her eggs on or just
below the soil surface close to the plant. The hatching maggots are what cause the damage. As you never know when eggs are
going to be laid, nor can you see them because they are usually laid in soil cracks, you have little chance of spotting
the hatched maggots moving into your vegetables to feed. This is why Nemasys recommends that you apply the nematodes as a
fortnightly drench as part of your watering programme to kill the pests. This provides protection throughout the critical
period when root fly attacks.
Nemasys Grow Your Own is easy to use on the vegetable garden as it is a unique mix of different nematode species to target
a broad range of pests. Especially for the home gardener, it has been specifically researched to combat carrot root fly,
cabbage root fly, leatherjackets, cutworms, onion fly, ants, sciarid fly, caterpillars, gooseberry sawfly, thrips and
codling moth. By using it as a programme you don’t have to worry about application times or thorough investigations as to
what the pests actually are; just follow the programme.
What Nemasys does?
Nematodes kill target pests and you apply them in one of two ways, depending on the pest. For pests in the soil, such as root fly maggots, you apply the nematodes as a drench to the soil where they will be. For pests on the plant, such as caterpillars you spray a nematode solution directly on to the pest. Start applying the nematodes when you plant out. Ants are the exception. Ants do not tolerate the nematodes near their nests and move the nests away from these areas. You can use one pack Nemasys Grow Your Pest Control to target both soil borne and above ground pests. For instance whilst you are drenching the soil to target carrot root fly, you can also save some of the solution to spray your greenhouse for sciarid fly. Equally you can be spraying for caterpillars and if ants are also in the vicinity you can target them at the same time. When killing above surface pests like cabbage white caterpillars and thrips make sure you spray the pests you want to kill directly with the nematode solution. There’s a handy chart you can download at www.nemasyinfo.co.uk/gyo.shtml. At less than £5 for 60 sqm this provides economic control that is safe and suitable for use on any food crops, including organic crops. Use Nemasys Grow Your Own together with Nemaslug (to kill slugs) and you will have protection against all the key pests. You can then concentrate on nurturing your plants for great quality produce. [top] RHS Slug Warning
Last week Royal Horticultural Society experts were warning gardeners to watch out for slugs munching their favourite
plants (www.rhs.org.uk/news/slug-alert). Slugs will have been dormant in the recent and prolonged dry period and now,
having had a sudden burst of rainfall, they will be on the rampage again.
The wet weather means that the top-rated garden pest will be hungry and on the move making salad crops and beautiful
displays of plants, such as Hostas, particularly vulnerable.
The RHS suggested various ways to protect and among the top suggestions is to treat with nematodes (Nemaslug). They
advised gardeners to water in a new batch of nematodes.
When there are sudden bursts of rain at this time of the year and vegetables are growing nicely and plants are in flower
slugs suddenly become active and will be producing more offspring. As they hatch Nemaslug will keep their numbers down.
In addition we could all become complacent, not having seen many slugs around, and the numbers below the soil (where 95%
live) could be increasing and storing up a problem for us next year.
“Knowing that there weren’t so many slugs around this year we did wonder what effect it would have on our Nemaslug sales,”
says Dr. Graeme Gowling, European general manager of Becker Underwood, the world’s largest producer of nematodes. “Much
to our delight Nemaslug sales have been holding their own as gardeners take the wise precaution of protecting their
plants.”
As Nemasys, including Nemaslug, products are not chemicals, they are safe on food crops and do not harm pets, children,
wildlife or bees. When the pest population dies out the nematodes die back to their natural soil numbers.
[top]
Mary Ellen Taylor had problems with her Hostas
Mary Ellen Taylor fell in love with our native plants and especially hostas and bulbs, when she moved to London from South
America (Ecuador) 7 years ago. She thought she'd seen all sorts of insects and pests, but was horrified by what she found
in her small London garden. She had never seen the likes of slugs before and was soon seeing the damage they did - lacy
hostas in her Battersea garden!
Hardly the thing for someone who had come to study botanical painting at the English Gardening School. Mary Ellen also
studied garden design at the school and became more aware of how to combat our garden pests.
One of her tutors, Steve Bradley, told her about nematodes and soon after Mary Ellen applied her first treatment, having
bought a pack of Nemaslug at the Chelsea Flower Show.
"They really worked and I applied the nematodes every six weeks to keep the slugs away. Now I have hostas to be proud
of," says Mary Ellen. "My courtyard garden doesn't get a lot of sunlight, so plants that like shade and damp are ideal
and I've now extended the borders to get in more plants."
[top]
Increase in VAT in Littlehampton
Becker Underwood, the world's largest producer of beneficial nematodes for crop protection, is increasing production
capacity for 2010 having just installed another 25,000 litre production fermenter in their British factory at
Littlehampton, West Sussex. The new vat dramatically increases the factory's capacity to meet the ever increasing demand
for nematodes throughout the world. Becker Underwood, already the world's largest producer of nematodes, is now even
bigger.
"Becker Underwood is not only the largest producer of nematodes in the world but we also produce the largest range, we
are the only company who can provide all the commercially available nematode species" says Dr. Graeme Gowling, head of
Becker Underwood's UK operations. "We are now producing nine species in total targeting a diverse range of pests for
agriculture, horticulture, turf and home and garden markets.
"Becker Underwood's attention to quality and product development has established nematodes as a significant biocontrol
agent in these sectors," continues Dr Gowling. "Key characteristics are that they are reliable and persistent in use,
easy to apply, leave no harmful crop residues and are crop safe.
"Traditional markets for nematodes in protected cropping continues to grow and we have seen considerable growth from open
crop areas such as vegetables and turf."
[top]
First Time Nematode User has Great Results with Nemasys Leatherjacket Killer
When Barbara Legg from Pangbourne in Berkshire found she had a dreadful Leatherjacket problem in her prized lawn she
turned to Nemasys for help.
"Initially I was a little apprehensive about doing it," says Barbara. "So my neighbour applied it to the garden for me.
"We tried a test area where all the leatherjackets were and left one small area untreated which was at the front of the
house. Within a couple of weeks it had completely cleared the problem. My neighbour was most impressed as he had never
used Nemasys before although he had heard about it. As it turned out the instructions were easy to follow and my initial
reservations were completely unfounded. It was an absolute doddle."
[top]
New Nemasys Grow Your Own
Nemasys has come up with an answer to gardeners' prayers - their new Grow Your Own Fruit and Vegetable Pest Control.
There is nothing more demoralising for home gardeners, and especially those new to gardening, than growing carrots,
turnips, swedes or other root vegetables only to harvest them ready for the pot and find that they are full of root fly.
Grow Your Own is a unique mix of different nematode species to target a broad range of pests - some of the most common
fruit and vegetable pests. Especially for the home gardener, it has been specifically researched to combat carrot root
fly, cabbage root fly, leatherjackets, cutworms, onion fly, ants, sciarid fly, caterpillars, gooseberry sawfly, thrips,
and codling moth. It is so easy to use that the gardeners do not have to worry about application times or thorough
investigations as to what the pests actually are; they just follow the programme.
Nematodes kill target pests, in one of two ways, depending on the pest. For pests in the soil, such as root fly maggots,
you apply the nematodes as a drench to the soil where they will be. For pests on the plant, such as caterpillars you spray
the solution directly onto the pest. Start applying the nematodes when you plant out.
Ants are the exception, ants do not tolerate the nematodes near their nests and move the nests away from these areas.
With the new Grow Your Own mix whilst you are drenching the soil to target carrot root fly, you can also save a little of
the solution to spray the soil in your greenhouse for sciarid fly. Equally you can be spraying for caterpillars and if
ants are also in the vicinity you can target them at the same time.
When killing above surface pests like cabbage white caterpillars and thrips make sure you spray the pests you want to
kill directly with the nematode solution.
Says Dr. Graeme Gowling, Dr. Graeme Gowling, head of Becker Underwood's European operations, "The great benefit of
Nemasys Grow Your Own is that it provides a simple solution to target key insect pests, with regular application you
need not worry about these troublesome critters."
At £4.95 for 60 sqm this provides economic control that is safe and suitable for use on organic crops. Use Nemasys Grow
Your Own together with Nemaslug to kill slugs and you will have protection against all the key pests, you can then
concentrate on nurturing your plants for great quality produce.
As Nemasys products are not chemicals, they are safe on food crops and do not harm pets, children, wildlife or bees. When
the pest dies the nematodes die back to their natural soil numbers.
[top]
See the Nematodes at Major Gardening Shows
Following last year’s successful season at major gardening shows, the Nemaslug roadshow is back for a second year. See
slugs being attacked by nematodes! Becker Underwood, the world's largest producer of beneficial nematodes and maker of
Nemaslug Slug Killer, is exhibiting at various shows this year. You can actually see the power of nematodes using the
high powered magnifiers to view the tiny creatures attacking slugs.
Show
Stand
When
Where
Opening Times
Harrogate Spring Flower Show
S42
23 – 26 April 2009
Great Yorkshire Showground
09:30 to 17:30
Malvern Spring Gardening Show
GSP/423
7 – 10 May 2009
The Malvern Show Ground
09:00 to 18:00
BBC Gardeners' World Live
G984
10 - 14 June 2009
NEC Birmingham
09:00 to 18:00
RHS Hampton Court
7 – 12 July 2009
Hampton Court Palace
10:00 to 19:30
RHS Tatton Park
22 – 26 July 2009
Tatton Park, near Knutsford
10:00 to 18:30
To download our FREE pest poster, available at the shows, click here.
[top]
Now There is a Solution for Gooseberry Sawfly
Kathy Doyle, Deputy Head Gardener at Garden Organic, Ryton, decided to trial nematodes to control Gooseberry Sawfly last
year. Having spent ages in 2007 squashing caterpillars, Kathy was keen to try an alternative approach - Nemasys Cate
Killer!
As soon as Kathy spotted the first signs of the pest in May she applied the first drench of Nemasys Caterpillar Killer, on
9th May. Subsequent treatments on 16th and 23rd May completed the programme. New caterpillars returned in July and again
she drenched her gooseberries three times, a week apart.
Says Kathy, "After the first application of Nemasys Caterpillar Killer I didn't see any caterpillars but as the
instructions told me to give it a further two drenches, I did so. In 2007 I spent so much time handpicking caterpillars
off my plants that it was great to find a biological control for them this year."
Kathy used Nemasys Caterpillar Killer on over 20 bush and trained forms of gooseberries. To prove to herself that the
drenches worked, she didn't apply nematodes to some gooseberries in another part of the garden and they were absolutely
stripped.
In addition to using nematodes Kathy tickles the soil in the winter so that the larvae is exposed and the birds help
themselves.
Concluded Kathy, "We had very limited damage to our gooseberry bushes by drenching them with nematodes and the whole
trial was very successful. We shall go on using nematodes to combat Gooseberry Sawfly and when the Soil Association
visited they were happy with the use of nematodes as well."
[top]
New 'No Ants' Nematodes
A new 'No Ants' nematode pest control has just been introduced to the popular and effective Nemasys range of gardening
products.
"Nemasys 'No Ants' has been undergoing consumer trials for two years and the feedback has been so positive that we are
now launching it to the whole market," says Graeme Gowling, general European manager of nemsysinfo.co.uk.
In the summer, black, red and yellow ants are found in the garden. Swarms of flying ants take to the air looking for a
mate and a place to lay their eggs.
New 'No Ants' can be used between April and September. To apply just follow the simple mixing instructions and drench the
nests with nematodes. As with all of the Nemasys range, it has no adverse effect on the environment, birds, beneficial
insects such as bees, pets or children. The standard pack that treats up to 16 nests.
Says Graeme Gowling, "We had such good feedback from our customer trials that we decided to add 'No Ants' to our Nemasys
nematode range of pest controls."
[top]
Applying Your Nematodes | Buy products | News | How nematode products are made | Quality & care | Links | About us | Contact us
News
On this page you will find details of practical applications where Nemaslug and Nemasys natural nematode pest controls have been used successfully. Remember, these products are environmentally friendly and safe for children, pets and wildlife.- Press Information
- See Nemaslug and Nemasys at 2012 Gardening Shows
- Award Winning Nursery
- Successful Codling Moth Control
- Getting Even Greener
- Destructive Root Flies – Now Help is to Hand
- RHS Slug Warning
- Mary Ellen Taylor had problems with her Hostas
- Increase in VAT in Littlehampton
- First Time Nematode User has Great Results with Nemasys Leatherjacket Killer
- New Nemasys Grow Your Own
- See the Nematodes at Major Gardening Shows
- Now There is a Solution for Gooseberry Sawfly
- New 'No Ants' Nematodes
- NEMASYS NEWS
- News archives
| Show | Dates | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Edible Gardening Show | 16-18 March | Stoneleigh |
| RHS Great London Plant Fair | not known for 2012 | London |
| RHS Cardiff | 20-22 April | Cardiff |
| Gardening Scotland | 1-3 June | Edinburgh |
| BBC GW Live Eco | 13-17 June | NEC, Birmingham |
| Great Yorkshire | 10-12 July | Harrogate |
Award winning nursery, Ferring Nursery near Worthing, would not have such superb plants on offer if it were not for their
use of nematodes – Nemaslug and Nemasys Vine Weevil Killer.
The nursery grows over two million plants, from pansies through to shrubs and palms. They have been supplying the
commercial and retail markets for 31 years including many Sussex local authorities. The nursery has won numerous awards
including the Best Highways category of South East in Bloom and Best Highways for the whole country for Rustington.
Ferring grows plants as naturally as possible so unlike many nurseries the plants at Ferring spend a lot of time outdoors.
Several intense crops a season are grown. Plants start off in polytunnels and glasshouses and then go outside to harden
off until sold so they are strong.
Spread over 4.5 acres of shingled growing space means slugs can be a massive problem and Ferring prefers to use natural
pest controls. Mike Harwood is the man responsible for ensuring plants are in tip top condition when they are planted out
or sold and he liaises closely with his nematode advisor, Neil Helyer at Fargro, to ensure he works with nature to protect
his plants.
“Nemaslug is an essential part of our growing year,” says Mike. “We carefully watch our plants and as soon as we see a
problem we are on to it. Using Nemaslug to kill slugs is so quick and easy. It has made a 90% difference to our slug
problem and I have discovered other ways to increase on that performance which I shall put into practice next year.”
Mike waters the ground 3 days before use and then applies the nematodes using a Dosatron. Batches of Nemaslug in 10 litres
of water are mixed up then pumped from the container to a drencher hose. Everything is done by hand and the results are
almost immediate.
“We didn’t really have a reliable way of controlling the slugs before Nemaslug. We tried a garlic based product but it
didn’t really work and everyone thought they were in France!
“Our autumn pansy crop started to get affected by slugs in 2010 but we soon sorted it. When it was dry during the summer
the slugs were dormant and went right into the ground. Then the rain come along in August, which coincided with the pansy
crop going outdoors and the slugs were back with a vengeance. We soon nipped the problem in the bud with a dose of Nemaslug.
“Slugs can also come in on pots, hide on trays or come in on the feathers or feet of birds so we never know when we are
going to be affected. The cost of Nemaslug compared to the loss in value of our crop or the cost in manpower for people
to rectify damage, inspecting each plant and picking off damaged leaves and stray slugs is negligible,” adds Mike.
“It used to be quite common for 4,000 out of 10,000 boxes of pansies grown to be damaged. The grey field slug tends to be
main the culprit and it is so tiny to see,” says Mike, “so I am really pleased that Nemaslug works very well and it is
good to know that we are using a natural product. “We don’t have a vine weevil problem but late summer every year we do
take precautions and treat the whole nursery. We have never had a problem but we feel it is better to be safe than sorry.”
[top]
Successful Codling Moth Control
In the autumn of 2009 every apple picked from the three apple trees in Joan Delaney’s Surrey garden had been attacked by
Codling Moth. As the trees were forty years old she did consider chopping them down but instead decided to treat them with
Nemasys Codling Moth Killer. The three trees were treated with the nematode drench on three consecutive weeks in late summer.
When the apples appeared in 2010 they were bigger and juicer than they had been for years and only the odd apple had even
the slightest blemish. Joan picked a bumper crop and they were still in good condition at Christmas.
In 2010 to make absolutely sure that the next year’s crop was just as good Joan drenched the trees again. Watering the
trees with a hose, she soaked them. She then mixed the codling moth killer into a hose-end feeder, shook it to mix the
solution and drenched the trunks and main branches with the mixture letting it also soak into the ground beneath the
canopy. Any nooks and crannies, and especially where one of the trees had been grafted, were soaked with the solution,
watering it in thoroughly. Let’s hope she picks a bumper crop once again in 2011.
[top]
Getting Even Greener
As part of its drive for sustainability, Becker Underwood, the producers of Nemaslug and Nemasys, have carried out a
life-cycle analysis (LCA) of Nemaslug. The analysis looks at sustainability from raw materials to energy and water use,
packaging, toxicity, emissions and waste. The purpose is to compare it to other products (such as metaldehyde pellets) and
to identify areas where the products can be improved in a sustainable world.
Daniel Krohn of Becker Underwood, who is based in the USA and in charge of the LCA process, told Nemasys News, “I believe
LCAs are going to become increasingly important and that’s one reason why we intend to integrate LCA into our R&D process.
By assessing a product right through its lifecycle, consumers will be able to compare the sustainability of one product
against another and make informed choices. It will also lead to new ideas that help us grow in a sustainable way.”
A good demonstration of this approach is that Becker Underwood has reduced its energy carbon emissions whilst at the same
time growing its business. In addition, Becker Underwood has contracted to purchase REC’s (Renewable Energy Credits – Wind
Power) to offset 100% of its electricity use for the next three years. Although this does not directly reduce the carbon
footprint, it does help build more renewable energy capacity and add more clean energy to the grid.
[top]
Destructive Root Flies – Now Help is to Hand
Carrot Root fly are the most common vegetable pests and Nemasys Grow Your Own has been specially formulated to control it
and other pests.
Root flies are the most destructive and difficult to control pests for vegetable gardeners and you never know exactly
when they are going to attack. There are two or three distinct generations of root fly each year and, depending where you
live, they can appear anytime from mid-April through to August.
To help you try to establish when you are likely to be attacked there is an extremely useful website that you can consult
- /hdcpestbulletin/carrot_parsnip/carrot_fly
The female fly looks similar to a housefly. She seeks out her favourite young host plants and lays her eggs on or just
below the soil surface close to the plant. The hatching maggots are what cause the damage. As you never know when eggs are
going to be laid, nor can you see them because they are usually laid in soil cracks, you have little chance of spotting
the hatched maggots moving into your vegetables to feed. This is why Nemasys recommends that you apply the nematodes as a
fortnightly drench as part of your watering programme to kill the pests. This provides protection throughout the critical
period when root fly attacks.
Nemasys Grow Your Own is easy to use on the vegetable garden as it is a unique mix of different nematode species to target
a broad range of pests. Especially for the home gardener, it has been specifically researched to combat carrot root fly,
cabbage root fly, leatherjackets, cutworms, onion fly, ants, sciarid fly, caterpillars, gooseberry sawfly, thrips and
codling moth. By using it as a programme you don’t have to worry about application times or thorough investigations as to
what the pests actually are; just follow the programme.
What Nemasys does?Nematodes kill target pests and you apply them in one of two ways, depending on the pest. For pests in the soil, such as root fly maggots, you apply the nematodes as a drench to the soil where they will be. For pests on the plant, such as caterpillars you spray a nematode solution directly on to the pest. Start applying the nematodes when you plant out. Ants are the exception. Ants do not tolerate the nematodes near their nests and move the nests away from these areas. You can use one pack Nemasys Grow Your Pest Control to target both soil borne and above ground pests. For instance whilst you are drenching the soil to target carrot root fly, you can also save some of the solution to spray your greenhouse for sciarid fly. Equally you can be spraying for caterpillars and if ants are also in the vicinity you can target them at the same time. When killing above surface pests like cabbage white caterpillars and thrips make sure you spray the pests you want to kill directly with the nematode solution. There’s a handy chart you can download at www.nemasyinfo.co.uk/gyo.shtml. At less than £5 for 60 sqm this provides economic control that is safe and suitable for use on any food crops, including organic crops. Use Nemasys Grow Your Own together with Nemaslug (to kill slugs) and you will have protection against all the key pests. You can then concentrate on nurturing your plants for great quality produce. [top] RHS Slug Warning
Last week Royal Horticultural Society experts were warning gardeners to watch out for slugs munching their favourite
plants (www.rhs.org.uk/news/slug-alert). Slugs will have been dormant in the recent and prolonged dry period and now,
having had a sudden burst of rainfall, they will be on the rampage again.
The wet weather means that the top-rated garden pest will be hungry and on the move making salad crops and beautiful
displays of plants, such as Hostas, particularly vulnerable.
The RHS suggested various ways to protect and among the top suggestions is to treat with nematodes (Nemaslug). They
advised gardeners to water in a new batch of nematodes.
When there are sudden bursts of rain at this time of the year and vegetables are growing nicely and plants are in flower
slugs suddenly become active and will be producing more offspring. As they hatch Nemaslug will keep their numbers down.
In addition we could all become complacent, not having seen many slugs around, and the numbers below the soil (where 95%
live) could be increasing and storing up a problem for us next year.
“Knowing that there weren’t so many slugs around this year we did wonder what effect it would have on our Nemaslug sales,”
says Dr. Graeme Gowling, European general manager of Becker Underwood, the world’s largest producer of nematodes. “Much
to our delight Nemaslug sales have been holding their own as gardeners take the wise precaution of protecting their
plants.”
As Nemasys, including Nemaslug, products are not chemicals, they are safe on food crops and do not harm pets, children,
wildlife or bees. When the pest population dies out the nematodes die back to their natural soil numbers.
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Mary Ellen Taylor had problems with her Hostas
Mary Ellen Taylor fell in love with our native plants and especially hostas and bulbs, when she moved to London from South
America (Ecuador) 7 years ago. She thought she'd seen all sorts of insects and pests, but was horrified by what she found
in her small London garden. She had never seen the likes of slugs before and was soon seeing the damage they did - lacy
hostas in her Battersea garden!
Hardly the thing for someone who had come to study botanical painting at the English Gardening School. Mary Ellen also
studied garden design at the school and became more aware of how to combat our garden pests.
One of her tutors, Steve Bradley, told her about nematodes and soon after Mary Ellen applied her first treatment, having
bought a pack of Nemaslug at the Chelsea Flower Show.
"They really worked and I applied the nematodes every six weeks to keep the slugs away. Now I have hostas to be proud
of," says Mary Ellen. "My courtyard garden doesn't get a lot of sunlight, so plants that like shade and damp are ideal
and I've now extended the borders to get in more plants."
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Increase in VAT in Littlehampton
Becker Underwood, the world's largest producer of beneficial nematodes for crop protection, is increasing production
capacity for 2010 having just installed another 25,000 litre production fermenter in their British factory at
Littlehampton, West Sussex. The new vat dramatically increases the factory's capacity to meet the ever increasing demand
for nematodes throughout the world. Becker Underwood, already the world's largest producer of nematodes, is now even
bigger.
"Becker Underwood is not only the largest producer of nematodes in the world but we also produce the largest range, we
are the only company who can provide all the commercially available nematode species" says Dr. Graeme Gowling, head of
Becker Underwood's UK operations. "We are now producing nine species in total targeting a diverse range of pests for
agriculture, horticulture, turf and home and garden markets.
"Becker Underwood's attention to quality and product development has established nematodes as a significant biocontrol
agent in these sectors," continues Dr Gowling. "Key characteristics are that they are reliable and persistent in use,
easy to apply, leave no harmful crop residues and are crop safe.
"Traditional markets for nematodes in protected cropping continues to grow and we have seen considerable growth from open
crop areas such as vegetables and turf."
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First Time Nematode User has Great Results with Nemasys Leatherjacket Killer
When Barbara Legg from Pangbourne in Berkshire found she had a dreadful Leatherjacket problem in her prized lawn she
turned to Nemasys for help.
"Initially I was a little apprehensive about doing it," says Barbara. "So my neighbour applied it to the garden for me.
"We tried a test area where all the leatherjackets were and left one small area untreated which was at the front of the
house. Within a couple of weeks it had completely cleared the problem. My neighbour was most impressed as he had never
used Nemasys before although he had heard about it. As it turned out the instructions were easy to follow and my initial
reservations were completely unfounded. It was an absolute doddle."
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New Nemasys Grow Your Own
Nemasys has come up with an answer to gardeners' prayers - their new Grow Your Own Fruit and Vegetable Pest Control.
There is nothing more demoralising for home gardeners, and especially those new to gardening, than growing carrots,
turnips, swedes or other root vegetables only to harvest them ready for the pot and find that they are full of root fly.
Grow Your Own is a unique mix of different nematode species to target a broad range of pests - some of the most common
fruit and vegetable pests. Especially for the home gardener, it has been specifically researched to combat carrot root
fly, cabbage root fly, leatherjackets, cutworms, onion fly, ants, sciarid fly, caterpillars, gooseberry sawfly, thrips,
and codling moth. It is so easy to use that the gardeners do not have to worry about application times or thorough
investigations as to what the pests actually are; they just follow the programme.
Nematodes kill target pests, in one of two ways, depending on the pest. For pests in the soil, such as root fly maggots,
you apply the nematodes as a drench to the soil where they will be. For pests on the plant, such as caterpillars you spray
the solution directly onto the pest. Start applying the nematodes when you plant out.
Ants are the exception, ants do not tolerate the nematodes near their nests and move the nests away from these areas.
With the new Grow Your Own mix whilst you are drenching the soil to target carrot root fly, you can also save a little of
the solution to spray the soil in your greenhouse for sciarid fly. Equally you can be spraying for caterpillars and if
ants are also in the vicinity you can target them at the same time.
When killing above surface pests like cabbage white caterpillars and thrips make sure you spray the pests you want to
kill directly with the nematode solution.
Says Dr. Graeme Gowling, Dr. Graeme Gowling, head of Becker Underwood's European operations, "The great benefit of
Nemasys Grow Your Own is that it provides a simple solution to target key insect pests, with regular application you
need not worry about these troublesome critters."
At £4.95 for 60 sqm this provides economic control that is safe and suitable for use on organic crops. Use Nemasys Grow
Your Own together with Nemaslug to kill slugs and you will have protection against all the key pests, you can then
concentrate on nurturing your plants for great quality produce.
As Nemasys products are not chemicals, they are safe on food crops and do not harm pets, children, wildlife or bees. When
the pest dies the nematodes die back to their natural soil numbers.
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See the Nematodes at Major Gardening Shows
Following last year’s successful season at major gardening shows, the Nemaslug roadshow is back for a second year. See
slugs being attacked by nematodes! Becker Underwood, the world's largest producer of beneficial nematodes and maker of
Nemaslug Slug Killer, is exhibiting at various shows this year. You can actually see the power of nematodes using the
high powered magnifiers to view the tiny creatures attacking slugs.
Kathy Doyle, Deputy Head Gardener at Garden Organic, Ryton, decided to trial nematodes to control Gooseberry Sawfly last
year. Having spent ages in 2007 squashing caterpillars, Kathy was keen to try an alternative approach - Nemasys Cate
Killer!
As soon as Kathy spotted the first signs of the pest in May she applied the first drench of Nemasys Caterpillar Killer, on
9th May. Subsequent treatments on 16th and 23rd May completed the programme. New caterpillars returned in July and again
she drenched her gooseberries three times, a week apart.
Says Kathy, "After the first application of Nemasys Caterpillar Killer I didn't see any caterpillars but as the
instructions told me to give it a further two drenches, I did so. In 2007 I spent so much time handpicking caterpillars
off my plants that it was great to find a biological control for them this year."
Kathy used Nemasys Caterpillar Killer on over 20 bush and trained forms of gooseberries. To prove to herself that the
drenches worked, she didn't apply nematodes to some gooseberries in another part of the garden and they were absolutely
stripped.
In addition to using nematodes Kathy tickles the soil in the winter so that the larvae is exposed and the birds help
themselves.
Concluded Kathy, "We had very limited damage to our gooseberry bushes by drenching them with nematodes and the whole
trial was very successful. We shall go on using nematodes to combat Gooseberry Sawfly and when the Soil Association
visited they were happy with the use of nematodes as well."
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New 'No Ants' Nematodes
A new 'No Ants' nematode pest control has just been introduced to the popular and effective Nemasys range of gardening
products.
"Nemasys 'No Ants' has been undergoing consumer trials for two years and the feedback has been so positive that we are
now launching it to the whole market," says Graeme Gowling, general European manager of nemsysinfo.co.uk.
In the summer, black, red and yellow ants are found in the garden. Swarms of flying ants take to the air looking for a
mate and a place to lay their eggs.
New 'No Ants' can be used between April and September. To apply just follow the simple mixing instructions and drench the
nests with nematodes. As with all of the Nemasys range, it has no adverse effect on the environment, birds, beneficial
insects such as bees, pets or children. The standard pack that treats up to 16 nests.
Says Graeme Gowling, "We had such good feedback from our customer trials that we decided to add 'No Ants' to our Nemasys
nematode range of pest controls."
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Press Information
Enquiries from the media should be addressed to Sue Hinton or David Saunderson of DSH PR on 01252 408820, or email
pr@dshpr.co.uk. Images are also available for use in publications on application to
DSH PR.
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