01-31-2015, 03:19 AM
Midnight Rambler is right, the nematodes will be selected out with a filter of 20 microns or smaller. Kay Howe just did research on this topic at UH. She found that the nematodes can live up to a week in the catchment water and they are most concentrated near the bottom of the tank where most water intakes are located. Again, rat population control is the most effective and easiest way to stop the spread of the rat lungworm on your property.
Someone mentioned washing veggies in saltwater to remove bugs. This won't eliminate the threat of consuming rat lungworm along with your veggies. Salt water may kill the slug which carries the rat lungworm inside of it, but the rat lungworm can live on after this. Remember also that immature slugs can be 1mm large and can carry the rat lungworm. I don't know about you but I would have trouble spotting a 1 mm slug in the fold of a kale leaf.
I no longer eat any raw greens from Hawaii. Cooked greens are fine as cooking will kill both the slugs/snails and the rat lungworm.
Someone mentioned washing veggies in saltwater to remove bugs. This won't eliminate the threat of consuming rat lungworm along with your veggies. Salt water may kill the slug which carries the rat lungworm inside of it, but the rat lungworm can live on after this. Remember also that immature slugs can be 1mm large and can carry the rat lungworm. I don't know about you but I would have trouble spotting a 1 mm slug in the fold of a kale leaf.
I no longer eat any raw greens from Hawaii. Cooked greens are fine as cooking will kill both the slugs/snails and the rat lungworm.