That’s it! Thank you for the clarification. And for posting about the Steinernema riobrave nematodes against the plum curculio. 
So if one sprays Spinosad on the tiny fruit, will it harm the nematodes in the soil beneath the trees? If the mailman delivers the little vials of nematodes into the mailbox on a hot day, will they even be alive?
A good video on raising nematodes…
Looks simple enough ?
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I applied my Sr nematodes last night, it was between showers so hopefully I got them in well. I also used a really nice hose end applicator produced by BioLogic, I feel like I got them down much more evenly than using a watering can like before.
I also am going to do Sf nematodes on the whole orchard, they were a lot cheaper so I bought a lot more of them.
This is my last try on nematodes, if these don’t work I’m done.
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Would it be ok to use that hose end sprayer with city water? Concerned that the chlorine would kill the nematodes.
I ordered a large number of Arbico’s triple threat which included all those mentioned in this thread and used the same hose end sprayer mentioned in Scott’s response to broadcast them in three different applications…all on rainy evenings and early mornings while it was actually raining. I’m treating for all sorts of insect problems such as aphids and stink bugs. According to Farmers Almanac this will be the wettest spring and summer we’ve experienced in recent years. Perfect time to use nematodes. Will they work or are we wasting money? As Dr Fauci likes to say, “We don’t know; but we’re gonna find out.” By the way, like Scott, I am also using the tried and true Surround which actually works on keeping the stink bugs in check. Their eggs won’t stick to the Surround covered leaves and stems.
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The hose end sprayer they should assume is chlorinated water so I can’t imagine it would be a problem since it was not mentioned in the instructions. You could always verify with them to be sure.
Hi guys.
I am very happy to see progress against the Plum Curculio plague.
A few months ago in a post about cherries, I spoke with mroot about the importance of the biological fight against pests, since it has been more than demonstrated that it is a much more effective and ecological control method than insecticides
In the store where I buy this type of product, there are 5 species of entomopathogenic nematodes available, specifically these 5 species:
- Heterorhabditis bacteriophora
- Phasmarhabditis hermaph
- Steinernema carpocapsae
- Steinernema feltiae
- Steinernema kraussei
https://controlbio.es/es/130-comprar-nematodes
Fortunately, in Europe there is still no presence of Plum Curculio, and there is a phytosanitary warning for the entire European Union to quickly detect its first presence and eradicate the pest before its spread.
But let’s get to the interesting thing.
I see that the United States study has demonstrated the effectiveness of the nematode species Steinernema riobrave against Conotrachelus nenuphar (plum curculio), and from what I have read about the efficacy of one of the nematodes available in Spain, specifically the species Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, is also effective against insects of the Curculionidae family, a family to which Plum Curculio belongs.
Says so :
Sale of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, a parasitic entomopatothene nematode of coloptera insect larvae that live in the soil mainly of the scarab families (blind hen), buprestids (big-headed worm) and curculionidae (Otiorhynchus). They follow the trail of their prey, attracted by the pheromones they emit, penetrate inside through the mouth, anus or stigmata and, once inside, release a symbiontic bacterium (Photorhabdus luminiscens) that is lethal to worms.
So this other nematode can also be interesting against the plum curculio fight.
Currently being studied in Spain, various species of entomopathogenic nematodes that are really effective against the pupae ( state of the insect under the ground in winter ) of different species of fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata, drosophila suzukii,
Bactrocera oleae, etc …), which wreak havoc on crops.
This is another very important fight
Regards
Jose
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Hello again guys
I was already surprised that only one species of nematode against Plum Curculio had been selected in the United States .
A lot of entomopathogenic nematode species have been tested, but due to soil temperature conditions where this insect is predominant, the best adapted nematode is the Steinernema riobrave species.
Yes sir, the technicians are doing a good job.
Regards
Jose
Wow, no plum curculio in Europe? You’re making me want to move there. I promise not to bring any curculio with me.
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Hi TheLoud.
Fortunately, there is still no presence of plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar) in Europe.
The European Union has issued phytosanitary bulletins to all member countries to quickly detect the first cases (if it appears) to eradicate the problem from the beginning.
But we have had big problems with another member of the Curculionidae family, specifically this species:
- Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (commonly known as the red palm weevil).
For many years it has killed thousands of palm trees in Spain (both date and ornamental), until a control method was developed, based on endotherapy (injections into the trunk), with Beauveria bassiana, which is an entomopathogenic fungus, and currently the disease it is absolutely eradicated.
Biological fight is the only way.
Regards
Jose
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Maybe Beauveria bassiana has a cousin that attacks curculio
TheLoud, as my grandmother used to say “they cook beans everywhere” hahahahaha.
And it doesn’t take a weevil big in size , and harmful as plum curculio to wipe out a hobbyist’s orchard crop.
In the USA you talk a lot about the damage caused by plum curculio, but I don’t see that fruit flies harm your crops, these species:
-
Ceratitis Capitata (it is like Attila’s horse), this fly bites the fruit and lays its eggs that will become worms and ruin the fruit, but with a peculiarity, these flies are intelligent machines, since a fruit fly does not it deposits the eggs in the fruit bitten by another fly (they detect the pheromones of the minced fruit), so they ruin entire crops, without leaving a single useful fruit.
And is a fly that is not delicate in its reproductive habits, since it likes all kinds of fruit species, it can destroy an entire harvest of persimmons, peaches, apricots etc … it does not discriminate. -
Drosophila suzukii, first cousin of the previous one, but with more refined food tastes hahahahahahaha.
This bad bug has a predilection for the cherry tree
And the third dangerous one is this:
- Bactrocera Oleae, which ruins an entire olive farm without disheveled hahahahahahaha
Look at the size of these damn critters, it is tiny since it is only 4 or 5 millimeters long, but it has a tremendous capacity to destroy crops.
The European Union is extremely restrictive with insecticides, since its idea is to go towards a totally ecological production, but of course it is not very easy from one day to the next.
Fortunately, traditional methods of control (insecticides) are being left out, to make way for new solutions (biological control), and it is more than proven that it is the way to go.
Returning to the subject of plum curculio, the entomopathogenic nematodes of the Steinernema Riobrave species (very suitable for your soil temperature), are giving very favorable results against plum curculio, but do not doubt for a moment that the technicians are not working with different strains of entomopathogenic fungi, to eradicate the plague of curculio.
All this is an endless fight, but there is another plague even worse hahahahahahahahaha.
Last year (my orchard is completely fenced) at night at 4 in the morning my mobile phone alarm went off, and there was a gang of thieves stealing the fruit from my garden, I had to call the police, they were arrested, make a complaint, go to court, etc …
If it is not for the passion we have with growing fruit trees, everything is against us hahahahahaha.
Regards
Jose