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The wireworm is a ground-dwelling click beetle larvae that prefers potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables. The insect also feeds on the shoots of sunflowers, grapes and other plants. It is easiest to find a wireworm in autumn: during digging of the soil or by corroded root crops.
What is dangerous wireworm
The wireworm has the appearance of a larva 10-45 mm long. Its color is yellow or dark brown. The insect destroys seedlings, root system, stems, seeds of vegetables. In root crops, the wireworm eats passages, as a result of which the vegetables become unsuitable for human consumption.
The life cycle of the wireworm is 5 years. In the first year, its larvae live in the ground and eat the underground part of the plants. In the second year, the wireworm grows and causes serious damage to all plantings.
Fungal diseases spread through the damaged surface of root crops. During storage, such tubers often rot.
The activity of the larvae depends on weather conditions. If the summer turned out to be dry, then in search of moisture, the wireworm is deeply embedded in root crops. When vegetables are formed in moist soil, less damage is observed.
Basic methods of struggle
Various methods allow you to get rid of the wireworm. One of them is compliance with the rules of planting crops and crop rotation. With proper application of mineral fertilizers, the number of insects can be significantly reduced. If emergency measures are required, then chemicals come to the rescue. In addition to the main methods, you can use folk remedies.
Proper agricultural technology
To get rid of the wireworm in potatoes, you must follow the rules of agricultural technology in the garden:
- in autumn, the soil is carefully dug up; if larvae or adult wireworms are found, they are destroyed;
- weeds and residues of previous crops are eliminated;
- crop rotation rules are observed (potatoes are allowed to be planted after cabbage, pumpkin, beets, carrots – after cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, legumes);
- planting green manure that repels the wireworm.
Every year, the beds where vegetable crops grew are dug up to a depth equal to the bayonet of a shovel. In autumn, the faces of the wireworm go deep into the ground. If they are raised to the surface, they will die when cold weather sets in.
Cleansing the soil of weed roots and vegetable crops will deprive the insect of a food source. The wireworm prefers willowherb and wheatgrass, so these plants must be eliminated first.
In autumn, siderates are planted on the beds – plants that saturate the soil with useful substances and loosen it. After germination, the plants are dug up.
An effective method of how to get rid of the wireworm in the fall is to plant green manure:
- Phacelia – an annual plant that grows even at low temperatures. Its cultivation allows you to disinfect the soil and saturate it with nitrogen.
- Lupine – green manure used for poor soils. As a result of its cultivation, the soil is enriched with nitrogen and phosphorus.
- Mustard – an annual crop capable of accumulating nutrients in the soil. Seed germination is carried out even at zero temperature.
Minerals
The use of minerals allows you to get rid of the wireworm in potatoes in a short time. One of these methods is the use of saltpeter. As a result, the acidity of the soil changes, and the wireworm dies.
Ammonium nitrate has the appearance of a white crystalline substance, which is used on all types of soil. Such a fertilizer begins to act immediately after it enters the ground and does not lose its properties after the onset of cold weather.
Liming with ash or chalk helps to reduce acidity. These components are introduced in the fall before digging the beds. For each square meter, 1 kg of substance is required.
Potassium permanganate has good disinfecting properties. On its basis, a solution is prepared with which the soil is watered in the fall. For 10 water, 5 g of potassium permanganate is enough.
If a wireworm is found in the fall, the area is covered with lime. An alternative is to use potassium chloride. This substance contains up to 65% chlorine.
The tool can only be used in the fall, since pure chlorine is harmful to plants and humans. Until spring, chlorine will be washed off by rain or evaporate, so you can plant in the beds without fear.
Potassium chloride is used to get rid of wireworm on sandy and peaty soils where fertilization is required to increase yields. In the spring, the accumulated potassium will have a beneficial effect on the development of beets and potatoes.
Chemicals
To combat soil pests, special chemicals are being developed. These are substances that have toxic properties, so they are used in compliance with safety rules.
An effective remedy against wireworm is Bazudin. The drug is in the form of a granular powder. One package, which includes 30 g of the substance, is enough to process 20 square meters of beds. When interacting with insects, the drug penetrates into the intestinal system. The result is a paralyzing effect, and the wireworm dies.
“Bazudin” is applied in one of the following ways:
- For potatoes – in the form of a dry mixture consisting of the drug and sand (sawdust). For 10 g of Bazudin, 0,9 liters of filler is required.
- For large areas – the agent is scattered over the surface of the soil, after which it is applied by loosening to a depth of about 10 cm.
Making Lures
A common method for getting rid of wireworms in early autumn is to use baits. This will require carrots, beets or potatoes, which are cut into pieces. Each piece is planted on a thin stick and stuck into the ground every 10 cm.
After a few days, the bait is changed, and the pests are destroyed. This method is suitable for small planting areas. If you need to process significant plantations, then the method will be too laborious.
Another option for using wireworm bait is that pieces of vegetables are placed in a jar, which is buried in the ground. After a few days, the jar is dug up and its contents are eliminated.
The bait is also strung on a wire, which is then placed in the ground. After 3-4 days, the device is removed and the pests are eliminated.
You can use oats, corn or wheat seeds as bait. These crops can be planted in the fall. As the plant germinates, it will attract wireworms. To get rid of pests, it is enough to pull them out by the root before the onset of frost.
Folk methods
You can get rid of the wireworm using folk methods:
- Herbal infusion. You can prepare a remedy based on nettle. To do this, a bucket of water requires 0,5 kg of chopped grass. Instead of nettles, you can use dandelions, which need 0,2 kg per bucket of water. The remedy is insisted for two days, after which the soil is watered, where the root crops grew.
- Tops from plants or straw are left on the site in autumn, forming several piles. The rotten grass attracts the wireworm, which accumulates in it in large quantities. After the onset of frost, the plants are harvested and burned.
- Another option is to dig small holes in the area where straw is laid. From above, the pits are covered with boards. With the onset of cold weather, plant remains are taken out and destroyed.
- In autumn, you can take onion peel and bury it in the ground. The husk contains phytoncides that can disinfect the soil and repel pests. It also contains vitamins and trace elements that improve soil structure.
- Wood ash has the property of scaring away the wireworm. It is scattered between rows with plantings or brought into the ground during its autumn digging. You need to use the ash obtained after burning wood or plants.
- Raw egg shells can be used to control wireworms. It needs to be ground, sunflower oil added for smell and buried in the ground. This fertilizer contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium.
Conclusion
Digging up the soil, eliminating weeds and planting green manure helps to eliminate the wireworm on the site. To solve the problem in the autumn period, you need to apply fertilizers to the soil or use chemicals. The wireworm can be eliminated if you build a variety of baits. Onion peel, herbal infusions and other folk remedies have good disinfecting properties.
