Because these are live and in order to increase survival rate during transit, they are required to be shipped Overnight, which adds on an additional $30 to the total.
Control Grubs and Gnats with Parasitic Nematodes
These nearly-microscopic non-segmented roundworms called nematodes live in the soil and spend their lives exploiting the larvae and/or pupae of over 200 organisms for their own gain. They are entomogenous (en-toh-MAH-jen-us), meaning they develop on or within an insect.
Nematode Information:
Popular Prey: fungus gnat larvae and many more economically important critters (just about anything they can crawl in, except other nematodes)
Life-span: roughly 8 weeks all together — assuming the wax worm larva is the host used.
Optimal Living Conditions: soil temperatures between 79-83°F for Hb with a low end of 65°F and prefer the soil, soilless medium, rockwool or other substrate, etc., to be moderately moist
Usages: Greenhouses, fields, interiorscapes, orchards and gardens. I’ve seen the successful implementation of these species in just about every conceivable situation. This includes just about every conceivable media: soil/sod, peat-lite mixes, bark products, rockwool, etc
Nematodes are extremely sensitive to UV rays (sunlight) and it can make them sterile in only 7 minutes, then kill them. For this reason, they should be applied in the evening or nighttime or light rain
You can tell your nematodes are working if the grubs are 1) dead, 2) partially deteriorated — depending on how long after initial host entry they were discovered — and/or 3) tinged orange-red
This species of nematode will bear up to 200,000 young ‘uns beginning in as little as 9 days
They are very versatile and can be applied in many ways
Nematodes will not harm people or animals, not even earthworms — they’re kin.
Can be refrigerator stored up to 3 months!
Each order contains 1 mil. (J3 sponge)
How they work:
This nematode species physically enters the host (grub, maggot, larva) and kills from within (endoparasitism). Entry is gained via the host’s mouth, anus or spiracles (breathing holes located along the sides of an insect). The Hb nematode, with its well structured and muscular, beak-containing head also has the ability to enter through the host’s soft, side-wall tissue.
In the case of the Hb nematode, they simply search the soil, tracking down their host, slithering along the film of moisture surrounding the medium’s particulate matter, sampling as they go.
Once inside the host, the nematodes settle in, shed a protective cuticle, mature, and begin feeding, defecating and reproducing. In their fecal matter lives a symbiotic bacterium enjoying the perfect harmony of interdependency with the nematodes. The bacterium present in the fecal matter of Hb nematodes is Photohabdus luminescens, in the Sc’s is the bacterium strain Xenorhabdus nematophilus, in the Sf’s the bacterium is X. bovienii. All types poison the host’s blood (called septicemia), thus killing it. The nematodes don’t actually do the killing, they just make it all possible and we all reap the benefits (except the old grub that is).
Want to know how much shipping will cost for one or more items?
Simply add the item or items to your shopping cart and use the Shipping Calculator at the bottom of the shopping cart page. Enter your ZIP code, and it will tell your total with shipping.
