Nematodes in Residential Lawns

I am fascinated with nematodes after to listening to this week’s lectures on nematode management.  It’s amazing how something so small can be so difficult to eradicate.  If a homeowner gets these little pests in his yard, he has absolutely no way to control them.  The only option a homeowner has is to keep the lawn as stress free as possible is by proper management of the lawn.  These management practices are the same that I have stated all semester.  They are proper mowing height and amount of fertilizer, and deep infrequent watering.   

One question that I have is what happens to the nematodes during the winter?  Do they continue to feed on the roots of dormant grass?  I did some research but found little answers.  I did find that nematode activity is dependent on temperature causing more damage during high temperatures with activity tapering off during cold periods.  I did not find enough information to know what happens to nematode infested grass while the grass is dormant.  Maybe this answer is not known.  In any case, the nematodes will still be there the next season.  Hopefully the grass was healthy enough to withstand any nematode feeding while it was dormant.  I can’t imagine having to constantly deal with an infestation.  The only solution to a homeowner has to ridding their lawn of a nematode problem is to rip out the current lawn and resod with a host resistant cultivar.  These little guys can give a homeowner a big headache and possibly an empty pocket book.   

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/Crow_RP_07.pdf