Beneficial Nematodes For Grubs, Fleas, Ticks And Over 80 More Garden Pests

You might have heard of beneficial nematodes being used as an organic pest control method in your garden, but did you know how extensive that list of pests actually is? I didn’t either, until I started researching the 3 main types of beneficial nematodes and all the different pests they can target.

I was pretty mind blown. 🤯

There are over 80 different pests that can be controlled by using beneficial nematodes in your garden!

Before we get into the full extensive list of pests, let’s answer a few frequently asked questions about beneficial nematodes.

What Are Nematodes And Why Are They Beneficial?

Nematodes are a microorganism that seek out and destroy a variety of soil borne pests, such as: grubs, fleas, ticks, Japanese beetle larvae, borers, cutworms, various types of weevils and even some soil borne aphids.

That’s not even the full list and you can already start to see what makes nematodes so beneficial to your garden. Beneficial nematodes help to control a lot of these nasty pests that lay eggs in, and hatch from, the soil.

The nematodes pick up the heat and carbon dioxide given off by these pests, hunt them down and infect them with an associated bacterium they carry, which kills the pests.

It’s really wicked but really cool at the same time! That’s nature for you.

Will Using Beneficial Nematodes Harm The Bees or Earthworms?

In a simple answer, no.

The great thing about using beneficial nematodes for pest control is that they only harm the bad bugs!

Since using beneficial nematodes isn’t like using some sort of chemical spray in your garden, bees and other beneficial bugs won’t be doused in poison and you can reset assured that earthworms, lady bugs, praying mantises and bees will be unharmed by the use of this organic pest control method.

Are Beneficial Nematodes Safe To Use Around Pets?

It can be dangerous for dogs and other pets to come into contact with a lawn that has recently been treated with chemical pesticides.

Beneficial nematodes are a much safer alternative to chemical sprays, which can be harmful if used around animals.

Although beneficial nematodes actively seek and destroy pests, they are non-toxic and safe for people and pets.

This makes them a perfect choice for pest control if you have pets around the garden.

Do Pests Build A Resistance To Nematodes And Become Less Effective?

A nice added bonus is that pests do not build up a resistance to beneficial nematodes, like they often do with chemical pesticides.

Nematodes are, simply put, a natural predator of these soil bourn pests. All you are doing is applying what nature does, in order to naturally control these pests, right to your home garden.

What Are The Biggest Pests That Beneficial Nematodes Help To Control?

Beneficial nematodes help to get rid of some of the biggest known garden pests out there.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common pests that nematodes are used to control.

Ants/Fire Ants

Ants can cause some major headaches in the garden.

For starters, ants farm aphids. You read that correctly.

Ants farm aphids to drink a sugary water they produce, called honeydew, much like we farm cows for milk.

The reason ants do this is because the aphids drink a plants nutrients and excrete the honeydew. Which, like any sugary substance, the ants love.

Fire ants are a whole other problem on their own.

Fire ants are a poisonous pest with a fiery sting that can actually kill small animals and even humans if not treated quickly.

I think you can see why someone would want to use beneficial nematodes to get rid of these pests.

Borers

Another pest that can reek havoc in your garden is called a borer.

Borers not only cause damage to woods such as fresh timber, but also damage vegetable plants by burrowing through the stems, buds or fruit of the plant, eating the plant from within.

Nothing’s worse than pulling back the leaves on a freshly picked ear of corn, only to find these nasty critters already feasting on your harvest.

Prevent it, with the use of beneficial nematodes!

Cutworm

A common garden pest is the cutworm, which is the name for the larvae of various types moth.

These little worms can cause a lot damage to vegetable crops by eating the stems and roots at the base of the plant.

Cutworms will feed on most types of plants but moths tend to have a preference of laying their eggs near beans, cabbage, corn and lettuce.

These worms and their larvae are a primary target

Cucumber Beetles

There are a few different ways that cucumber beetles cause damage to your plants.

First, it’s important to note that cucumber beetles mainly target cucurbit plants, which are plants that belong to the gourd family (squash, pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, etc.)

Cucumber beetles will lay their eggs near the roots of the plants. When the eggs hatch, they start to eat the roots of the plants and this causes the plants growth to be stunted. 

These pests are also known to carry and transmit bacterial wilt disease, which is a disease that causes individual runner vines on melon and cucumber crops to wilt and die off. Fortunately, this disease is not as damaging to squash and pumpkin crops and watermelon crops are unaffected by it.

The adults can also cut and scar the fruit on your plants, causing unwanted scarring or leaving open holes which invite other pests to come eat. However, damage is most severe when the plants are young.

Luckily, nematodes can help to get rid of cucumber beetles from your garden, for good!

Fleas/Ticks

Although fleas and ticks don’t necessarily do damage to your garden, they be a pain if you have animals near your garden.

If you have chickens, goats, horses, or even dogs and cats for that matter, you’ll want to make sure that your garden and yard are free from these types of pests, which can make your furry friends feel itchy and very unpleasant.

Fortunately, due to their nature of being soil bourn insects, fleas and ticks can be easily controlled by using beneficial nematode applications in your soil.

Lawn Grubs

When the grass starts to turn yellow and die off, most people assume they aren’t watering their lawns enough.

The lack of water, however, is not always the reason for the dying grass.

More often than not, grubs are the cause of dying grass, due to their large appetite for lawn roots.

The good thing is that the solution is simple and you don’t have to have to spray your lawn with harmful chemicals, which are usually considered not safe to use around pets.

Japanese Beetles and Figeater Beetles

If those lawn grubs are left to populate, they will eventually grow into adult Japanese beetles.

These adult beetles can cause major damage to the foliage and flowers of over 300 different plants, leaving them destroyed or skeletonized but they have a preference for roses, grapes, raspberries, and beans.

The figeater beetle, a relative of the Japanese beetle, can be a lot more destructive when it comes to damaged caused to your crops.

Figeater beetles not only eat figs, but will go after any soft-skinned fruit.

This is what makes them so destructive in a vegetable garden.

Japanese beetles and figeater beetles are pests that can be controlled at the larvae stage by beneficial nematodes.

The 3 Types of Beneficial Nematodes and Full List of Pests

The 3 main types of beneficial nematodes are:

Heterohabditis bacteriophora (Hb), Steinernema feltiae (Sf), and Steinernema carpocapsae (Sc).

Each one of these nematodes hunt down and destroy different types of pests that lurk in your soil.

I have compiled an individual list for each of these types of nematodes (Hb, Sf, and Sc) and the different types of pests that they can help to control in your garden.

Some pests can be destroyed by multiple types of nematodes. For example, the cucumber beetle can be controlled by using either Hb, Sf or Sc.

Now, as promised, here is the extensive list of over 80 garden pests that nematodes can help you get rid of!

Heterohabditis bacteriophora (Hb) only:

• Ants (Queen)
• Asparagus Beetles
• Bagworms
• Banana Moths
• Banana Weevils
• Berry Root Weevils
• Bill Bugs
• Borers – Iris, Tree, Vine
• Carrot Weevils
• Chafers
• Citrus Weevils
• Colorado Potato Beetles
• Corn Root Worms
• Cranberry Root Weevils
• European Chafers
• Flea Beetles
• Fleas – Adult
• Gall Midges
• Grape Root Borers
• Grubs
• Japanese Beetles
• Lawn Grubs
• Masked Chafers
• May/June Beetles
• Pill Worms (Rollie Pollies)
• Raspberry Crown Borers
• Root Weevils
• Scarabs
• Sugarcane Stalk Borers
• Sweet Potato Weevils
• Termites (Queen)

Steinernema feltiae (Sf) only:

• Beet Armyworms
• Carpenter Worms
• Chinch Bugs
• Corn Borers
• Crane Fly Larvae
• Fall Armyworms
• Fire Ants
• Fly Larvae
• Fungus Gnats
• Gypsy Moths
• Humpbacked Flies
• June Bugs
• Mint Borers
• Pine Weevils
• Poplar Clear Wig Borers
• Root Aphids
• Rootknot Galls
• Sclarids
• Shore Flies
• Squash Vine Borer Larvae
• Subterranean Termites
• Thrips
• Tabacco Cutworms
• Wireworm Aphids
• Wood Borers

Steinernema carpocapsae (Sc) only:

• Caterpillars
• Cotton Bollworms
• Crambids
• Cranberry Girders
• Crate Flies
• Fleas – Larvae, Pupae
• Large Pine Weevils
• Leather Jackets
• Mint Flea Beetles
• Mint Root Borers
• Mushroom Fly Larvae
• Strawberry Root Weevils
• Wireworms

Both Hb + Sc:

• Black Vine Weevils

Both Hb + Sf:

• Cutworms
• Onion Maggots
• Ticks

Both Sc + Sf:

• Armyworms
• Artichoke Plume Moths
• Bad Nematodes
• Black Cutworms
• Bluegrass Weevils
• Cabbage Maggots
• Codling Moths
• Corn Earworms
• Fruit Flies
• Girdlers
• Hylobius Weevils
• Leaf Miners
• Mole Crickets
• Navel Orange Worms
• Roaches – American, Asian, German
• Scarab Grubs
• Sod Webworms
• Tobacco Budworms
• Webworms
• Weevil Grubs
• Wooly Aphids

All three (Hb + Sc + Sf):

• Cucumber Beetles

How Many Nematodes Do I Need?

How many nematodes you will need, depends largely on the size of the area you will be treating.

Here is a general guideline on how many nematodes you should apply when treating your garden for soil bourn pests:

• 10 Million nematodes will treat up to 3,200 sq.ft. (typical garden size)
• 50 Million nematodes will treat up to 1/2 acre.
• 100 million nematodes will treat up to an acre.

Where Do I Get Beneficial Nematodes?

You can actually get beneficial nematodes shipped right to your doorstep by ordering online, right through Amazon or any other online retailer and distributor.

If you want more information on which nematodes to buy and where to buy them, check out our Pest Control resource page.

How And When Do I Apply The Nematodes?

Before you actually go out and buy nematodes, it’s a good idea to know when the best conditions are to apply your nematodes.

Your microscopic pals can’t survive the cold, so it’s best to apply the nematodes when soil temperatures are above 42°F.

They aren’t too happy about bright lights and harsh UV rays from sun.

For best results, apply your nematodes early in the morning, or in the evening, when it’s not too hot nor too bright.

Also, consider applying during the spring and fall seasons. Not only is the weather optimal during these seasons, this is usually the time that grubs and larvae from many soil bourn pests are dwelling in the soil.

Conclusion

Honestly, with the amount of different pests that it helps to control, it’s worth giving beneficial nematodes a shot.

Just remember to avoid applying your nematodes at the wrong time of the day or the wrong time of the year.

These common mistakes are the biggest reason people have negative experiences with using nematodes to treat their garden pests and it’s mainly due to the lack of proper application.