Ten facts about nematodes - Kitchen Garden Magazine

Nematodes are microscopic worms found naturally in the soil which can be applied to tackle different pests

To mark the 25th anniversary of Nemaslug, here are ten amazing things about nematodes:

· Nematode means ‘thread like’ in Greek. They were first identified in 1758 and there are around 25,000 known species, although there could be over a million.

Article continues below...
Advert

Enjoy more Kitchen Garden reading in the monthly magazine.
Click here to subscribe & save.

· Visible best through a microscope, they outnumber all other animals on Earth in both individual number and number of species.

· They are found in fresh water, saltwater, underground in mines, at mountain tops and in polar regions. They’ve even been identified on beer mats.

· There are 60 billion nematodes for every human on Earth.

Article continues below...
Advert

· Thirty-five species have been discovered on human bodies but most live in the top 15cm of soil.

· The most famous nematode, C. Elegans, found in compost, was the first organism to have its entire genome sequenced. It made headlines when specimens were found to have survived the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003.

· Nematodes are essential in the nitrogen cycle and for regulating the decomposition of organic matter.

Article continues below...
Advert

· One species of nematode is known to control mosquitos by eating their larvae. In theory, this method could be used to prevent the spread of malaria. In practice, though, it is incredibly hard to reach all the random areas where mosquito larvae grow.

· It is likely that nematodes will adapt to climate change far better than we can. As species move north, migrating pests will bring new nematode populations with them. This means they potentially carry north the seeds of their own destruction.

· Nematodes attack the pest by entering natural body openings and releasing bacteria which help them consume it from the inside.

Article continues below...
Advert

THE NEMASYS RANGE
Along with slugs (in the form of product Nemaslug), BASF’s Nemasys range of products tackle vine weevil, leatherjackets, chafer grubs, ants, carrot and cabbage root fly, sciariad flies, caterpillars, thrips and codling moths.

Nemaslug and other Nemasys products arrive in the form of a fibrous paste. The nematodes are still alive so must be used within three days. The gardener should mix them with water (according to pack instructions) and sprinkle them over the affected areas. The tiny creatures will then do their job before dying away naturally. They are organic and gardeners with children or pets can use them with absolute confidence.

Download Nematodes Today here: https://bit.ly/2xPdOYX

Nemaslug and Nemasys can be purchased online from www.greengardener.co.uk , www.gardening-naturally.co.uk, www.marshalls.co.uk and other quality garden product distributors.

How do nematodes work?bit.ly/39wXxF4

Enjoy more Kitchen Garden reading in the monthly magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Sign-up to the Kitchen Garden Magazine Newsletter

Enter your e-mail address below to see a free digital back issue of Kitchen Garden Magazine and get regular updates straight to your inbox…

You can unsubscribe at any time.

Steve Ott

Steve Ott is editor of Kitchen Garden magazine and started his career as a professional grower, producing everything from cut flowers to vegetables. He has been growing fruit and veg all his life and spends most of his spare time in his garden in the East Midlands. He loves to experiment with crops and varieties he has never grown before and when he isn’t gardening is to be found out in the countryside bird watching and walking his dog Ted.