Flea Defeater^™ - Nematodes for Flea Control

Fleas can make us and our pets miserable, not to mention the headache, time and work it takes to get rid of them. Keep your home and pets from becoming infested by using Flea Defeater^™ Nematodes! It's our number one recommended product for controlling fleas and other pests in an environmentally friendly, non-chemical way.

What are Nematodes?

Nematodes are microscopic, beneficial predatory worms that hunt down and kill pest insects but pose no threat to people, pets or plants. They won't harm beneficial insects, either. They're an environmentally friendly, non-chemical solution to get rid of flea larvae and many other soil-dwelling pests.

Application Rates

5 million beneficial nematodes will cover 200 sq. ft; 10 million beneficial nematodes will cover 400 sq. ft. Infested areas should be spot treated, and it's a good idea to extend treatment a couple of feet beyond the infested area. Reduce coverage area by half for heavy infestations. Concentrate application in areas that pets frequent, shaded areas, under porches and around structures where fleas can hide.

Pests and Fleas Controlled

There are a variety of beneficial nematodes for flea control and while more than one type can control several of the same pest insects, some nematode varieties are better suited for controlling certain pests. Flea Defeater Nematodes are best at controlling the soil-dwelling pests that affect our pets such as Flea Larvae and Pupae. They also control: Annual Bluegrass Weevils, Armyworms, Artichoke Plume Moth Larvae, Banana Moth Larvae, Banana Root Borers, Bill Bugs, Carpenterworms, Chinch Bugs, Clearwing Borers, Codling Moth Larvae, Corn Earworms, Corn Rootworms, Cranberry Girdlers, Crane Fly Larvae, Cutworms, Dogwood Borers, Giant Palmetto Weevils, Iris Borers, Mint Flea Beetles, Mint Root Borers, Mole Crickets, Navel Orange Worms, Peach Tree Borers, Pine Weevils, Poplar Clearwing Borers, Raspberry Crown Borers, Root Weevils, Rotten Sugarcane Borers, Shore Flies, Sod Webworms and Strawberry Weevils. (Flea Defeater Nematodes are best suited for pests in bold.)

Effectiveness of Nematodes for Fleas

Flea Defeater Nematodes can be applied anytime the soil is not frozen, but become active at soil temperatures of 55°F or above. Beneficial nematodes are most effective at controlling pests in the spring and fall. Once they're applied, look for the adult pest population to begin dwindling in 1-2 weeks. Flea Defeater Nematodes kill pests at the larval and pupal stages, so they'll prevent future pest populations once the adults die off.

Nematodes for fleas are packaged with diatomaceous earth (which is mostly silica), water, and potassium sorbate.

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Orders for in-stock seeds and hardgoods are typically shipped within 5 business days.

Plants will be shipped at the proper planting time for your area of the country during the shipping timeframes outlined below:

Spring 2023 Shipping Schedule
Zones	Sweet Potatoes	Potatoes	Tomatoes & Peppers
1A-4A	5/15/23 - 6/2/23	3/27/23 - 6/9/23	5/22/23 - 6/2/23
4B	5/15/23 - 6/2/23	3/27/23 - 6/9/23	5/22/23 - 6/2/23
5A	5/8/23 - 6/2/23	3/13/23 - 6/9/23	5/15/23 - 6/2/23
5B	4/24/23 - 6/2/23	3/13/23 - 6/9/23	5/15/23 - 6/2/23
6A	4/24/23 - 6/2/23	3/13/23 - 6/9/23	5/8/23 - 6/2/23
6B	4/24/23 - 6/2/23	2/27/23 - 6/9/23	5/8/23 - 6/2/23
7A	4/24/23 - 6/2/23	2/23/23 - 6/9/23	4/17/23 - 6/2/23
7B	4/24/23 - 6/2/23	2/20/23 - 6/9/23	4/17/23 - 6/2/23
8A	4/17/23 - 6/2/23	2/16/23 - 6/9/23	4/10/23 - 6/2/23
8B	4/17/23 - 6/2/23	2/13/23 - 6/9/23	4/10/23 - 6/2/23
9A & B	4/17/23 - 6/2/23	2/6/23 - 6/9/23	4/10/23 - 6/2/23
10A & B	4/10/23 - 6/2/23	2/6/23 - 6/9/23	4/10/23 - 6/2/23
Last Order Date	5/29/2023	6/5/2023	5/29/2023

Spring 2023 Shipping Schedule
Zones	Tender Annuals	Fruit Trees	Onion Plants
1A-4A	5/5/23 - 6/2/23	3/27/23 - 6/2/23	4/3/23 - 5/5/23
4B	5/5/23 - 6/2/23	3/27/23 - 6/2/23	3/27/23 - 5/5/23
5A	5/5/23 - 6/2/23	3/13/23 - 6/2/23	3/20/23 - 5/5/23
5B	5/1/23 - 6/2/23	2/27/23 - 6/2/23	3/20/23 - 5/5/23
6A	4/27/23 - 6/2/23	2/27/23 - 6/2/23	2/27/23 - 5/5/23
6B	4/24/23 - 6/2/23	2/27/23 - 6/2/23	2/20/23 - 5/5/23
7A	4/13/23 - 6/2/23	2/6/23 - 6/2/23	2/13/23 - 5/5/23
7B	4/10/23 - 6/2/23	2/6/23 - 6/2/23	2/6/23 - 5/5/23
8A & B	4/3/23 - 6/2/23	2/6/23 - 5/12/23	1/23/23 - 5/5/23
9A & B	3/27/23 - 6/2/23	2/6/23 - 5/12/23	1/2/23 - 5/5/23
10A & B	3/27/23 - 6/2/23	2/6/23 - 5/12/23	1/2/23 - 5/5/23
Last Order Date	5/29/2023	1A-6B: 5/29/2023 7A-7B: 5/19/2023 8A-10B: 5/8/2023	5/1/2023

Spring 2023 Shipping Schedule
Zones	Bareroot Roses	All other Perennials & Potted Plants	Dormant Trees & Hedges
1A-4A	4/10/23 - 5/26/23	5/1/23 - 6/2/23	5/1/23 - 5/19/23
4B	4/10/23 - 5/26/23	5/1/23 - 6/2/23	4/17/23 - 5/19/23
5A	3/27/23 - 5/26/23	4/10/23 - 6/2/23	3/27/23 - 5/19/23
5B	3/13/23 - 5/26/23	3/27/23 - 6/2/23	3/13/23 - 5/19/23
6A	2/27/23 - 5/26/23	3/13/23 - 6/2/23	3/6/23 - 5/19/23
6B	2/27/23 - 5/26/23	2/27/23 - 6/2/23	2/27/23 - 5/19/23
7A	2/20/23 - 5/26/23	2/23/23 - 6/2/23	2/20/23 - 5/19/23
7B	2/20/23 - 5/26/23	2/21/23 - 6/3/23	2/20/23 - 5/19/23
8A	2/13/23 - 5/26/23	2/16/23 - 5/12/23	2/13/23 - 4/28/23
8B	2/13/23 - 5/26/23	2/13/23 - 5/12/23	2/13/23 - 4/28/23
9A & B	1/16/23 - 5/26/23	2/6/23 - 5/12/23	2/6/23 - 4/28/23
10A & B	1/16/23 - 5/26/23	2/6/23 - 5/12/23	2/6/23 - 4/28/23
Last Order Date	5/22/2023	1A-7B: 5/29/2023 8A-10B: 5/8/2023	1A-7B: 5/15/2023 8A-10B: 4/24/2023

Spring 2023 Shipping Schedule
Zones	Large Bareroots, Trees & Shrubs	Select Citrus
1A-3B	5/1/23 - 6/2/23	4/17/23 - 10/27/23
4A & B	5/1/23 - 6/2/23	4/3/23 - 10/27/23
5A	4/10/23 - 6/2/23	3/27/23 - 10/27/23
5B	3/27/23 - 6/2/23	3/27/23 - 10/27/23
6A	3/13/23 - 6/2/23	3/13/23 - 10/27/23
6B	2/27/23 - 6/2/23	3/13/23 - 10/27/23
7A	2/23/23 - 6/2/23	3/13/23 - 10/27/23
7B	2/20/23 - 6/2/23	3/13/23 - 10/27/23
8A	2/16/23 - 5/12/23	2/27/23 - 10/27/23
8B	2/13/23 - 5/12/23	2/27/23 - 10/27/23
9A & B	2/6/23 - 5/12/23	2/27/23 - 10/27/23
10A & B	2/6/23 - 5/12/23	2/27/23 - 10/27/23
Last Order Date	1A-7B: 5/29/2023 8A-10B: 5/8/2023	10/23/2023

Spring 2023 Shipping Schedule
Zones	Nematodes	Encapsulated Compost Worms
1A - 2A	5/8/23 - 10/27/23	5/8/23 - 10/27/23
2B - 3B	4/24/23 - 10/27/23	4/24/23 - 10/27/23
4A - 6A	4/10/23 - 10/27/23	4/10/23 - 10/27/23
6B - 7A	4/3/23 -10/27/23	4/3/23 -10/27/23
7B - 8B	3/6/23 - 10/27/23	3/6/23 - 10/27/23
9A - 10B	2/20/23 - 10/27/23	2/20/23 - 10/27/23
Last Order Date	10/23/2023	10/23/2023

Fall 2022 Shipping Schedule
Zones	Blueberries	All Other Fruits	Perennials, Bulbs & Flowers
1A-4B	9/12/22 - 10/28/22	9/12/22 - 10/28/22	9/12/22 - 10/28/22
5A - 5B	9/12/22 - 10/28/22	9/12/22 - 10/28/22	9/12/22 - 10/28/22
6A - 6B	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22
7A - 7B	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22
8A - 8B	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22
9A - 10B	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22
Last Order Date	All Grow Zones: Oct 24, 2022	All Grow Zones: Oct 24, 2022	All Grow Zones: Oct 24, 2022

Fall 2022 Shipping Schedule
Zones	Vegetable Plants & Starts	Seeds	Hardgoods, Foods & Supplies
1A-4B	9/12/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22
5A - 5B	9/12/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22
6A - 6B	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22
7A - 7B	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22
8A - 8B	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22
9A - 10B	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22	6/1/22 - 10/28/22
Last Order Date	All Grow Zones: Oct 24, 2022	All Grow Zones: Oct 24, 2022	All Grow Zones: Oct 24, 2022

Fall 2022 Shipping Schedule
Zones	Select Perennials, Hibiscus & Iris	Trees & Shrubs	Select Strawberries
1A - 3B	10/10/22 - 11/11/22	9/12/22 - 10/28/22	9/6/22 - 10/7/22
4A - 4B	10/10/22 - 11/11/22	9/12/22 - 10/28/22	9/6/22 - 10/7/22
5A - 5B	10/10/22 - 11/11/22	9/12/22 - 10/28/22	9/6/22 - 10/7/22
6A - 6B	10/10/22 - 11/11/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/6/22 - 10/7/22
7A - 7B	10/10/22 - 11/25/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/6/22 - 10/7/22
8A - 8B	10/10/22 - 11/25/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/6/22 - 10/7/22
9A - 10B	10/10/22 - 11/25/22	9/26/22 - 10/28/22	9/6/22 - 10/7/22
Last Order Date	Zones 1A-6B: 11/7/22 Zones 7A-10B: 11/21/22	All Grow Zones: 10/24/2022	All Grow Zones: 10/03/2022

Fall 2022 Shipping Schedule
Zones	Houseplants
2A & B	4/11/22 - 10/21/22
3A & B	4/11/22 - 10/21/22
4A & B	4/11/22 - 10/21/22
5A & B	4/11/22 - 10/21/22
6A & B	4/11/22 - 10/21/22
7A & B	3/14/22 - 11/4/22
8A & B	3/14/22 - 11/4/22
9A & B	3/14/22 - 11/4/22
10A & B	3/14/22 - 11/4/22
11A & B	3/14/22 - 11/4/22
Last Order Date	Zones 2A-6B: 10/17/22 Zones 7A-11B: 10/31/22

Shipping Note:

The type of product you order or the weather in our area or yours may affect the anticipated shipping schedule.

Trees and shrubs are kept in the nursery row until fully dormant for optimum stress protection.

In all cases, we choose the fastest, most efficient way to send your order--via the U.S. Postal Service or United Parcel Service. Large orders may be shipped in more than one package.

Please note that we cannot ship outside of the continental United States.