beneficial nematodes

Beneficial nematodes (Heterorhabditis Indica) to treat the soil for SHB larvae arrived in an insulated FedEx mailer which I moved to the refrigerator.  As shown in side-by-side photos, I removed the leaf litter at backyard hive locations and then wet the soil - all strategies so the nematodes land on wet soil and not on top of leaf litter.

The next step was washing nematodes from gel transport material - small gel pieces can clog the watering can.   I followed the Southeastern Insectaries instructions which recommend using a tea strainer.   In hindsight, a larger strainer with a fine mesh is more desirable as the numerous gel pieces quickly overwhelmed the capacity of a typical tea strainer.

I added more water to the bucket, then stirred to keep nematodes from settling to the bottom.  Ultimately, I transferred the liquid to a watering can.   Direct sunlight (UV light) is fatal to nematodes, so one hour after dark I watered the liquid nematode suspension onto the soil - while wearing a head lamp.