Nematodes: It’s Time to be the Boss of Your Lawn

Nematodes are a type of primarily microscopic roundworm present in almost every carbon-based life form in the world, including trees, animals (including humans), and lawns. In fact, if all matter in the world suddenly disappeared and only the nematodes remained, the shapes of almost all marine and land forms would still be discernible. Fortunately, most nematodes are beneficial since they feed on bacteria and fungi. Others, however, are not so lawn friendly. Orlando lawn care experts, Apex, presents some facts on nematodes.

• The Ectoparasitic Nematode: This species can destroy your lawn quickly since they exist in such high numbers. These nematodes puncture cells within plant tissues, then insert a digestive enzyme that breaks down plant tissue so it can be easily siphoned from the plant for a tasty nematode treat.
• The Endoparasitic Nematodes: This kind of nematode bores holes into plant roots and physically move in, picking up nutrients the plant brings in through its roots. When their access points are blocked, the roots, and eventually the blades, will die.
• Evidence: Roots damaged by nematodes are considerably shorter than normal or may appear darker or black because the tissues are dying from lack of nutrition.
• Contributing Factors: Environmental stressors, such as drought or excessive temperature for an extended length of time, will cause turf infested with parasitic nematodes to appear yellow or brown, wilted or thin, or it may kill large sections of lawn.
• Fight Back: The nematicides used in the past have proven to be quite ineffective in clinical trials. However, nematodes can be controlled using new technology, such as Nortica and MustGrow Invest. Nortica contains the bacterium Bacillus firmus strain I-1582. This strain enters the plant’s root system and acts as a protective barrier to invading nematodes.

Because nematode invasion is similar in its outward appearance to many other lawn problems, your wisest choice is to contact the experts at Apex Pest Control to determine the correct course of action. Our Orlando lawn care team can be reached at (866) 675-4070.