Wireworm in the garden: how to fight 

The wireworm causes damage to root crops and eats the ground part of plants. There are various methods on how to get rid of the wireworm in the garden.

How does the wireworm harm

The wireworm is found in the garden as a yellow-brown larva from 10 to 40 mm long, from which the click beetle emerges. In the larval state, this insect prefers seeds, root crops and ground parts of plants. As a result of its activities, up to 70% of the crop can be destroyed.

Since the pest lives in the ground, it is detected in autumn by the presence of numerous passages in potatoes and carrots. The wireworm remains viable for 5 years, of which it spends 3-4 years in the state of the larva.

In rainy summers, the damage from the wireworm in the garden is reduced. Most often, late varieties of potatoes suffer from the pest. If the root crops ripen in the first half of summer, when the soil is still not dry enough, then the insect does not have time to cause serious damage.

In the first year, the wireworm lives underground and does not cause serious damage to plantings. The insect causes the greatest damage to root crops in the second and third years of its development.

Methods of struggle

The main method of how to get rid of the wireworm in the garden is the observance of agricultural technology. With the timely elimination of weeds, digging up beds and observing crop rotation, the likelihood of a pest is minimized.

Compliance with agricultural technology

Proper care helps protect plants from the spread of wireworm. This includes a set of measures:

• Compliance with the rules of crop rotation. Planting potatoes is recommended to be carried out on beds where legumes and cereals, cucumbers, pumpkins, beets, and various greens previously grew. Carrots are planted after cabbage, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers.
• Deep digging of the garden in autumn. Wireworm larvae burrow into the soil for the winter. By digging the beds, insects are on the surface. If you perform the procedure before the onset of frost, then up to 90% of pests will die as a result.

During digging, beetle larvae are eliminated. Experienced gardeners dig up beds, removing weeds that become food for insects. The wireworm is attracted to the rhizomes of Ivan-tea and wheatgrass.

• Planting green manure. Siderates are plants that can repel insects and saturate the soil with useful substances. Green manure can be planted in late autumn after harvest or in early spring before planting the main crops.

The wireworm is disposed of by planting the following plants:

• Mustard – green manure, which is characterized by rapid growth in all weather conditions. The plant grows best on fertile soils and germinates even at zero temperatures.
• Lupine – a plant used on poor soils. Its cultivation improves the structure of sandy and clay soil. Lupine saturates the earth with nitrogen and phosphorus, quickly decomposes and creates unfavorable conditions for pests.
• Phacelia – an annual plant whose roots loosen the soil and increase its permeability. Phacelia grows on any type of soil, and the vegetation process continues until frost.
• alfalfa (Medicago sativa) – green manure, which is planted on any soil, with the exception of saline and acidic. The constant application of moisture will help to stimulate the emergence of seedlings. Harvest alfalfa when blooms appear and use it as compost.

Chemicals

To combat the wireworm in summer conditions, special preparations are used that are designed specifically for these purposes.

The most effective means that can solve the problem of how to defeat the wireworm are:

• Bazudin. The preparation has the form of a powder consisting of small granules. One package containing 30 g of the substance is enough to process 20 square meters. m landings. Bazudin has a paralytic effect and causes their death. The procedure for dealing with the wireworm must comply with the instructions. The drug is applied dry to each well before planting potatoes. It can be pre-mixed with sand or sawdust. Bazudin’s consumption is 10 g per 10 potato bushes. The substance can be scattered over the surface of the soil, and then embedded to a depth of 20 cm. This method is the most effective, however, it requires a large consumption of the drug.
• Provotox. Among the means of how to destroy the wireworm, the drug Provotox stands out. It is used purposefully to combat this pest. The granules of the substance are scattered into furrows before planting potatoes and other crops. Provotox is not used with other chemicals. The consumption of the drug is 40 g per 10 square meters. m. Provotox does not accumulate in the soil, it is safe for animals and people. The tool does not have a negative impact on the vital activity of worms. Regular use of the drug allows you to permanently get rid of the wireworm.
• Zemlin. The drug has a wide range of effects and is used to control the wireworm in the garden, as well as the bear, cabbage fly and other pests.Zemlin is available in a package containing 30 g of the substance. One package is enough to process 20 square meters. m beds. The drug is used in the spring when planting seeds and tubers. It is applied in autumn to prevent the spread of pests.
• Metarizine. This wireworm remedy is a fungal spore that, when ingested by an insect, has a toxic effect. As a result, the activity of all organs of the pest is neutralized, which causes its death. Metarizin is available in liquid form and is added to the irrigation solution. We fight with a wireworm with a solution. For 10 liters of water, 0,5 liters of the drug is required. The consumption of the solution is 200 ml for every 10 sq. m landings.

Minerals

Mineral components are used to feed plants and make it possible to create conditions that are unacceptable for the wireworm.

The following substances will help how to remove the wireworm without the use of chemicals:

• Application of ammonium sulfate as a fertilizer. The consumption of the substance is 25 g per square meter. Ammonium sulfate is applied in the spring before planting, after which it is used to fertilize several times a season.
• To protect plantings from wireworms, ammonium nitrate is used on the site, which begins to act immediately after it enters the ground. This fertilizer does not lose its properties even with frost. Ammonium nitrate is applied in the form of granules directly into the soil or a solution is prepared on its basis. The consumption of the substance is 25 g per square meter. m.
• Watering with a solution of potassium permanganate. Before planting potatoes in the country, the soil is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate. The consumption of the substance is 5 g per bucket of water. 0,5 l of solution is added under each bush.
• Decrease in soil acidity. Chalk or ash will help to change the acidity indicators. The content of these components should not exceed 1 kg per 1 sq. m. Every 3 years, lime can be added to the soil.

Creating traps

You can get rid of the wireworm with the help of traps. For this, small pieces of potatoes or carrots are strung on the wire. Then the baits for the wireworm are placed in the ground to a depth of no more than 10 cm, leaving up to 10 cm between them.

You can remove the bait together with the wireworm after 3 days. Pieces of vegetables are often placed in a jar or plastic cup, which is buried up to the neck in the soil and covered. After a few days, you need to get the trap and destroy the wireworm.

The pest is also attracted to germinated seeds of cereal crops. They are planted between rows with potatoes. When the plants germinate, they are removed, like the insects themselves.

In the fall, when you harvest, you can leave heaps with tops on the ground. The decaying plant attracts the wireworm. After a few days, the plants are removed along with the pest.

Folk remedies

You can remove the wireworm at the expense of folk remedies:

• Preparation of infusion from nettle. 0,5 kg of crushed plants are poured with water. After 12 hours, an effective means of dealing with wireworm is obtained.
• Instead of nettles, you can use dandelions, which are enough for 0,2 kg per bucket of water. The infusion is left for half a day, then used for irrigation.
• The celandine has the property to repel insects. Traditionally, a tool based on it was poisoned by wireworms and other pests. To prepare the infusion, 0,1 kg of crushed plants is required. The agent is left for three days to obtain the maximum concentration.
• The introduction of onion peel into the soil. Onion peel is applied in the spring during planting crops. It contains vitamins and minerals that contribute to the development of plants. On its basis, a solution is also prepared for watering the soil from the wireworm.
• Use of eggshell. In the garden, raw egg shells are used, which contain a maximum of useful substances. This tool saturates the soil with calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Due to the ability to reduce the acidity of the soil, eggshell is one of the methods of dealing with wireworms.

Conclusion

The fight against wireworm involves the use of a whole range of methods. Many gardeners know that when I get rid of weeds, the number of pests on the site will decrease. With proper crop rotation and care of the beds, the number of insects is significantly reduced. Minerals, chemicals and folk remedies are no less effective from the wireworm.