March 17,2016
Wire worms look like the grubs that I remember feeding
lizards when I was a kid. Meal worms we called them. Not sure if they are from
the same insect family but wire worms are the larvae of click beetles.
Interesting as it may be, I do not get the damage from these critters that I
once did.
These guys are active two times a year and looking at the
tubers it is very easy to determine the time frame that the damage was done.
Wire worms are attracted to the CO2 that is given off by germinating seed. It
has been noted that wire worms prefer grass and beans that are germinating. I
have not noticed this in my garden. This could be so but I feel most of my
seedling mortality is from cut worms, pill bugs, saw flies, and other members
of the Lepidoptera family (moths and butterflies). This is not to say they
don’t factor into this. Ah yes, troubleshooting.
Where I have noticed most of my wire worm damage is on
tubers; sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes and to a lesser extent on sun chokes and
beets.
The two times of the year that they attack crops: spring with
soil temperatures between 60 and 85. Then again they attack in the fall from 85
to 60. The wire worms move deeper into the soil when the surface temperatures
are too hot or too cold. Likewise the early damage is holes in the side of the
tuber that have callused over and are much bigger than the diameter of a wire
worm, up to ½ inch. Whereas the fall damage is equal to the diameter of the
wire worm and there is no callusing.
I inherited these bugs when I converted range land into my
garden area. Wire worms like to feed on native grasses. It can take up to
several years for the larvae to develop into click beetles.
There is not a lot that can be done to control these
critters. Trap crops of corn planted on the edge of a garden bed can lure the
worms away from the crop. Like with all traps they need to be tended too. In
the case of the corn it needs to be pulled up and the wire worms disposed of.
Chickens go YUMMMMM!!!
Ground beetles and their larvae will attach and eat wire
worms. I have turned a bed while a chicken is riding shot gun. Grubs have
noooo!! chance. This is another reason I like to use a shovel to turn my beds.
There are some amazing observations to be made that can’t be done when using a
tiller.
I am not sure why this once very damaging pest has faded in
its severity of predation. This lessening of damage is highlighted by the
declining numbers of young wireworms I observe any more.
Good luck and happy gardening!!! Questions? I can be contacted at markdirtfarmer@gmail.com. Or more
garden notes at redwagonfarm.blogsot.com
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