Identification: The wireworm is slender, jointed, usually hard-shelled, with three pairs of legs, and tan brown in color. This is the immature stage of the click beetle, which deposit eggs on soil during May and June. Grasses, sod and sorghum-sudangrass are favorite egg-laying sites.
What do wireworms do?
Larvae chew holes in storage tubers and storage roots (e.g. potato and sweetpotato) and chew on roots and stems of several other vegetables. Adults chew on stems just below the ground.
What does a wireworm look like?
Appearance: Wireworms are thin, shiny, jointed, yellow to reddish-brown, worm-like larvae resembling mealworms. They range in length from 1/4 to 11/2 inches and are approximately 1/8 inch wide. Different species are distinguished by the ornamentation on the last segment of their bodies.
Are wireworms harmful to humans?
“Biopesticides are generally regarded as safe in terms of human and environmental health. They are often suitable for organic agriculture.
Where do wireworms come from?
Click beetles lay their eggs directly in the soil. These eggs are tiny and white, round in shape, and usually are placed near grass or crop roots. When they hatch, the larvae emerge, which are what we call wireworms .
How do you get rid of wireworm?
Non-pesticides control Remove larvae of wireworms from soil as they are found. A mixture of nematode species for controlling vegetable pests is sold as Fruit and Vegetable Protection, the Nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora is also sold specifically against wireworm.
How do I get rid of wireworm?
What kind of worm is a wireworm?
Appearance: Wireworms are thin, shiny, jointed, yellow to reddish-brown, worm-like larvae resembling mealworms. They range in length from 1 / 4 to 1 1 / 2 inches and are approximately 1 / 8 inch wide. Different species are distinguished by the ornamentation on the last segment of their bodies.
How long does it take for wire worms to develop?
The relatively slow development of wireworm larvae extends the time that crops planted into an infested field will be subjected to damage. Unless wireworms are controlled, moderate to heavy damage can be expected for 2 to 3 years. Wireworm larvae feeding on corn plants (soil washed off).
How big do wireworms get in your garden?
Here’s how to get rid of wireworms using proven, natural and organic techniques. Common in home gardens across North America, wireworms (up to 1-1/2 inch long) are tough slender worms with shiny skin and three pairs of legs just behind their head.
What kind of crops are affected by wireworms?
Wireworms can be best described as minor pests with the potential of causing high crop losses. The two major species prefer grasses as host plants; therefore, the greatest damage occurs in crops planted in fields that were in grass sod the previous year or two. Major crop losses are to corn small grains, and potatoes.