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Felti-care | Nematodes for thrips - Colorado potato beetle - Processionary moth caterpillar

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  • Combats thrips, Colorado beetles, and oak processionary caterpillars
  • Use as a soil treatment or as a foliar treatment
  • Apply from 10°C onwards
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    Kim
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    We are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CET, Monday through Friday. We speak English, Dutch, French and German!
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    What is Felti-care?

    Felti-care is an organic pest control agent that is effective against various pest insects. This product contains the nematodes Steinernema feltiae. These nematodes live in symbiosis with specific bacteria that are lethal to the young larvae or pupae of the Colorado potato beetle, thrips, and oak processionary moths.

    The nematodes penetrate the pest insects through natural body openings such as the mouth or anus. They then secrete bacteria into their digestive tract, poisoning and ultimately killing them.

    Felti-care is applied as a soil treatment or foliar treatment, depending on whether you want to target the larvae on the plant or the pupae in the soil. The soil temperature (for soil treatment) or ambient temperature (for foliar treatment) must be at least 10°C.

    Felti-care to fight Colorado potato beetle

    A foliar treatment with Felti-care should be given as soon as you notice that the young larvae of the Colorado potato beetle have hatched from the eggs. You will find these on the underside of the leaves. Repeat this treatment for several weeks in a row to hit the newly hatched larvae each time. This early intervention significantly slows down the development of the Colorado potato beetle.

    Be aware: Older larvae drop to the ground to pupate and can produce a second generation within the same year. These second-generation young larvae can also be targeted with a foliar treatment of Felti-care.

    A soil treatment with Felti-care is advisable immediately after harvesting potatoes. The larvae that were still on the potato plants will have dropped and burrowed into the ground. If not dealt with, these larvae will overwinter and pupate into adult Colorado potato beetles the following spring. With this soil treatment, you interrupt the cycle.

    Felti-care to fight thrips

    A foliar treatment with Felti-care is ideal when there are many thrips larvae on the leaves. A foliar treatment will quickly reduce the population. Felti-care is a contact agent, meaning that the nematodes must be sprayed onto the thrips larvae. The result is visible a few days later. A nematode treatment can significantly reduce the number of thrips but will never solve the entire problem. Afterward, you should release predatory mites and/or predatory bugs according to your situation to further address thrips control.

    A soil treatment with Felti-care can be carried out against the thrips pupae. Large larvae drop to the ground to pupate. In the case of vegetable plants or small fruits in open ground, you can perform a soil treatment with these nematodes to combat the pupae.

    The types of thrips that occur on houseplants largely pupate on the plants themselves. Therefore, a soil treatment against thrips is not necessary for houseplants.

    Felti-care to fight oak processionary moth

    A foliar treatment with Felti-care is possible between mid-April and mid-May. The earlier you can treat during this period, the better. The treatment must be done in the evening when it is almost dark. The outside temperature at that time must be 10°C or higher. Felti-care can be used on the first and second larval stages of the oak processionary moths. From mid-May, the caterpillars move to the third larval stage, and a nematode treatment is no longer effective.

    The entire tree must be sprayed. If the tree has few leaves, this simplifies the spraying process.

    How to use nematodes for foliar treatment?

    How many nematodes are needed?

    • 5 million nematodes = 20 m2 leaf surface or 250,000 nematodes per m2.
    • 50 million nematodes = 200 m2 leaf surface

    In case of a foliar treatment, we will spray the nematodes over the affected leaves or still bare branches in the case of oak processionary moths. You do this as follows:

    1. Apply the nematodes when it is almost dark. The nematodes do not tolerate UV light.
    2. Spray the plants/branches to be treated thoroughly with water just before applying the nematodes.
    3. Dissolve Felti-care in 1L of water and stir well. This is your concentrate.
    4. Dilute the product according to the surface area to be treated.
    5. Spray the nematode solution over the leaves/branches with spraying equipment. Wet the underside and top of the leaves without too much runoff. The spray openings of your device must be at least 1 mm in size.
    6. The leaf surface must remain moist for at least two hours, which is not a problem during the night.
    7. Nematodes that have not found a host will die off in the morning from the UV light.

    How to use nematodes for soil treatment

    How many nematodes are needed?

    • 5 million nematodes are sufficient for 10 m2, so we give 0.5 million nematodes per m2.
    • 50 million nematodes for 100 m2 to be treated.
    • 250 million nematodes for 500 m2 to be treated.

    In case of a soil treatment, you willl water or spray the nematodes onto the ground. You do this as follows:

    1. The ground must already be damp before applying nematodes. If this is not the case, first irrigate thoroughly.
    2. Dissolve the nematodes in water and then dilute them according to the surface area to be treated. Use the nematodes immediately; they cannot be stored in solution.
    3. Pour the mixture over the affected ground. Do not apply in the sun. If the ground is covered with vegetation, wash everything off with clean water so that the nematodes can penetrate the ground.
    4. Keep the ground moist for at least 2 weeks after treatment.

    If you have a large area to treat, you may opt for the nematode sprayer.

    Nematode sprayer

    If you want to treat a large outdoor area with nematodes, it saves a lot of work to use the nematode sprayer. The Biogroei nematode sprayer simply attaches to the garden hose. You make your nematode mixture with the accompanying manual, pour it into the reservoir, and you can start spraying. The nematodes are added to the water in the correct proportion.

    Benefits of Felti-care

    • 100% natural, organic product.
    • Harmless to humans, pets, and the environment.
    • Safe to use.
    • Effective against a variety of pests.

    Storing nematodes?

    Felti-care consists of live nematodes mixed with a clay-like filler or gel. Order the nematodes when you need them. They can be stored at 5°C until the expiration date on the packaging. As a rule, the nematodes do not require cooling during transport.

    Questions?

    If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We have 30 years of experience using biological control in the home garden and would be happy to advise you.

    Pro's & cons
    • plus-circle Long-lasting effect in the soil
    • plus-circle Easy to spray on leaves
    • plus-circle Swiftly kills many larvae on leaves
    • minus-circle Only works as a contact agent on leaves
    Reviews
    Kim
    Need help?
    We are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CET, Monday through Friday. We speak English, Dutch, French and German!
    Contact us