Not sure who a wireworm is? A photo and description of how to deal with it will be useful to gardeners who notice spoiled by a yellow worm - wireworm, for example, potato tubers, as if someone had repeatedly pierced the wire during harvesting. The topic is very topical for many, because wireworms are found everywhere in our country. He brings a lot of harm and trouble in the garden, especially on planting potatoes, carrots, beets. The number of wireworms in wet areas is 3-4 times greater than in others.
Photo, what does a wireworm look like? Is it a bug or a worm?
Wireworms are the worm-shaped larvae of the nutcracker, which develop in the soil over a number of years.
Wireworm, photo:
All this time they harm plants, corms, potatoes, making moves in them.
Damaged tubers are quickly affected by dry and wet rot.
The pest can feed on the underground parts of almost any plant. Most often, plantings of potatoes, peanuts, corn, carrots, beets, and other root crops are damaged.
Many wireworms in the forest litter. That is why gardeners are so dangerous to use forest soil.
When to start fighting wireworms and how to do it
Adult nutcracker beetles and their larvae in the soil overwinter. Beetles leave wintering in early spring. It was at this time that it was best to "hunt" them.
For this, glass or plastic containers are suitable. From my own experience I know that it is better that they are not flat and there should be a lot of them - about 10 per hundred. At the bottom of each bowl, place slices of raw potatoes, or carrots, or beets. Place the jars so that the edge of the neck is at ground level. So it will be easier for the nutcrackers to get in there, and they will not be able to get out of the high capacity. These are traps for adults - the nutcracker beetles, they are not suitable for worm larvae. Inspect the traps regularly, at least once every 2-3 days, free from traps and update the bait to a more recent one. You will not be able to completely get rid of the yellow pest in this way, but their number will decrease significantly.
Females lay eggs in the upper layer in small groups. A characteristic feature of wireworms is that they are very sensitive to soil moisture. In spring they live in the upper layers, and in dry weather they go to deeper layers. This feature can be used to combat pest.
In early spring, in April-May, and in our Kuban in March-April, most wireworms are located near the surface of the soil - at this time the bait will be most effective. They will help you get rid of the pest. Bait traps installed after these deadlines are unlikely to be as effective.
Bury several tin cans in the area so that their edges are flush with the surface of the earth. First, punch a few holes in the sides of the cans with a nail. Fill the jars with fresh potato peels, slices of carrots. Check these traps with bait at least once a week, destroy the larvae that climbed there through the punched holes.
They are quite effective in combating pest traps, which I call "barbecue for wireworms." Take the wire, bend one of the ends with a hook so that nothing falls. String pieces of fresh potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beets on it. Dig this "kebab" so that the wire peeps out of the ground. If the end of the wire is short, mark the spot with a stick or a colored patch. Every 2-3 days, check the "kebabs" and destroy the crawling pests there. Replace the bait with a more recent one as necessary.
If the field is very infected with wireworms, it makes sense for one year not to plant vegetables on it, but to plant it with mustard. The pest will die without food or leave this field. And you not only get rid of it, but also improve the soil on your site.
During laying of eggs (May-June) and pupation of larvae (July-August) from pests, insecticides Dursban, Bazudin, Phosphamane, etc. are used. But it must be remembered that along with a positive effect, the soil is polluted and damage to the fauna. Less earthworms, ground beetles. So the soil is getting poorer.
To reduce the use of chemical wire control agents, onion peel, wood ash, potassium permanganate solution can be used. For example, before planting potato tubers, shed a hole with a potassium permanganate solution, put a handful of onion husks, wood ash.
A little time will pass - the pests will disappear, and the number of ground beetles, earthworms will increase many times. By the way, where weeds, in particular wheat grass, grow, there are many wireworms. Therefore, pay special attention to timely weeding, weed removal.
We hope that now you will not be mistaken when you see a yellow worm in the soil of your site. After all, our wireworm photos will help determine the pest, and therefore choose the appropriate ways to combat it.