Nematodes?

We recently found a white grub in our garden and I suspect more.  Looking for an organic and safe method to combate them, I found nematodes.  Does anyone have experience with them? 

I also wonder if the grubs have been eating our Japanese eggplants.  They get to about 2 inches long and then are munched.  I can see what I think are tiny teeth marks.  No other plants are being eaten.  The bunnies are all gone.  Do grubs do this?

grubs will eat roots but they don't come out and eat the foliage. they are only damaging when they are young grubs. these will eventually turn into beetles. I have only really heard of them being a problem for turf and not so much for gardens plants although i'm sure they could turn into a problem. I have always found lots of grubs and never did much except call the chickens over for a treat when I found one. so I dont' know what to control them with. i'm sure they are not the source of your troubles withthe eggplant.

are the eggplants cut off at the base or are you talking about holes in the leaves?

Hmm... we found the white grub on the surface of our garden right next to the eggplants.  It seemed to make sense, but I'm no grub expert.

The eggplants were still pretty small, hanging about an inch off the ground.  They got to about 2-3 inches long, and then over the course of a few nights were munched down to nothing.  No other plants are being eaten, not even the leaves.  The eggplant is surrounded by other eatibles, like squash and various lettuce, but nothing else is touched.  I swear it looks like tiny little teeth marks!

Can you upload a picture of the "grub" and a picture of your overall garden.

I suspect that I will want to talk about the layout of your garden for next year. 

This isn't it, and it's long gone now, but it looked something like this. 

I'll post some garden photos soon.

that looks like a grub from a japanese beetle of someother beetle. was is good and fat and mature like the one in the pic?  could be a mole just chased it up out of the ground. they don't usually come out till they pupate.

I never had much luck with eggplant. the flea beetles get mine. they make the leaves full of tiny holes so I doubt that is your problem. bunnies and gophers would take the whole plant overnight. so it must mean its some kind of insect or larvae. and if they are leaving the lettuce alone (not much goes after squash) that should narrow it down.

the following link says that both tomato hornworms and colorado potato beetles can affect eggplant. both do the kind of damage you are talking about. the hornworm would down a small plant in a number of hours though unless it was tiny  or it could be some other type of smaller caterpillar (I have some unidentified ones on my maters that eat them). or maybe its the beetle? unfortunatly you might have to catch them in the act. time for a flashlight I'd say.

http://www.geocities.com/green_cache/eggplant.html#Common_Pests_&_Pathogens

Yes, good and fat and mature.  Right on the surface during daylight.  I guess it could have been chased out of the ground, but I didn't see any holes.  I think we have groundhogs or something out front, but not moles.

It could be a beatle.  I know we have some around, but I haven't seen any at the plants.  I'll get out the flashlight and check at night.

By the way, as far as Nematodes. Is there a way to get rid of nematodes? And do beneficial nematodes kill pest nematodes.

Godbless,
Anwar

Looks like a jap beetle larva to me.  Milky Spore is about the only effective organic defense against Jap beetles besides chickens or guinea fowl.  A teaspoon every few feet plus a light dusting over the target area.  Inoculate as wide an area as possible around the target area (read: the whole yard as far as the eye can see).  Don't breath the stuff or you'll be coughing up banana pudding for a week.