Anybody have experience & srategies in dealing with symphylans, also known as garden centipede? I first saw them in my garden on strawberries which had touched the soil. When i lifted them the undersides were eaten away and hanging from them were what looked like tiny grey worms.
Over the next 2-3 years I've been seeing them in the soil when I disturb it, and on bits of organic stuff I dig up. I blame them for an increasing incidence of poor germination and stunted seedlings in the garden.
The only strategy I've come up with so far is to try & raise big sturdy seedlings in "safe" potting mix before setting out. This is a nuisance on several coutns - space for one - and isn't possible with all veggies.
The references I've found suggest (apart from some chemicals that I don't want to use) rotational fallowing, planting "trap crops," compacting the soil around sown seed (!) and a few other unattractive strategies. None are held out as being highly effective.
Anyone have (preferrably non-chemical) experience in dealing with these pests?