I'm using nemotodes and a bee lawn

I'd like to provide this information to the neighbors who want an effective bee-safe alternative. Nematodes are microorganisms that kill grubs. They are mixed with water and applied to the lawn in August-September, or in June, when the grubs are underground but not deep.

I've lived in Longfellow for just a year, near the Coliseum, and am a first-time homeowner. The lawn was severely damaged by Japanese beetle larvae last year, and I happened to find out about nematodes when I stopped in at a local garden shop.

After shopping around, I found an affordable quantity of nematodes big enough for me and my next door neighbors to treat both of our oversized yards. It seems to have worked great!

To replace the destroyed lawn, instead of regular grass, I'm going to plant "bee lawn" seeds and clover seeds which have little flowers that bees can eat, but which Japanese beetle larvae do not favor as food. By using nematodes and replacing damaged traditional lawn with a different kind of lawn, we can steward the land better for our neighborhood and its bees.

 

Loyola Colebeck

Longfellow