[cbreon]

Anyone know if terrestrial nemertean's have natural predators? Also, what are the species that we most likely encounter.

 

[cbreon]

There have been some trials to find a predator of them and using othere methods to get rid of them(see this site for example AJCs Frogroom: Search results for nemerteans). I haven't found a good reference for the potential species.

Ed

I couldn't find much substantial info either on the interwebs. Anyone looking for some post grad work, please do some studies on terrestrial nemerteans, there doesn't seem to be much info out there...

 

[cbreon]

Here's a quote from that link Ed, it seems like woodlouse (isopods) eat the young nemerteans and their eggs, so this would be a method of control...chalk one more up for the ispods, what can't they do?!?!

'I've recently had a limited degree of success in reducing the Nemertean populations in contaminated vivaria by adding the woodlouse Oniscus asellus to the vivarium at the rate of approximately one per five litres of vivarium space. This reduces but does not eliminate the Nemerteans, presumably because the woodlice consume the eggs or young worms. The effect wanes with time as Oniscus asellus does not seem to like wet vivaria and any offspring produced are consumed by frogs or Nemerteans, so the population is not sustained at the necessary level for control. Oh well, it's a start.'

 

[cbreon]

it seems like isopods, potentially any isopod would eat nermetean eggs and young, but conversely the nermetean adults would eat the iso eggs and young. So, if you killed adult nermetean when you saw them and regularly seeded with isos it seems like you might be able to control/minimize them....

 

[cbreon]

Based on others experience a C02 bomb will not work b/c of the nemerteans relatively low 02 requirements and the fact that the C02 would not be able to penetrate deep enough into the soil. Large isos seem to be the best combatant so far. Although some are reporting smaller isos are still thriving in nemertean infested enclosures as well.

 

[cbreon]

What if you put the co2 into your false bottom so it has to push through the soil to fill up? Probably need to do repeat bombings depending on their reproduction cycle to kill all of the life stages.

Based on what I have read that will not work because the nermerteans have a low o2 requirement. Also, if you have background that may also be a spot that could support the nermerteans that might not be penetrated by a co2 bombing.

If you have a nermertean issue you could test the theory...