How To Defeat A Wireworm

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The appearance of the wireworm in the areas is a lot of trouble. Deep tunnels of larvae can often be found in harvested potato tubers. In order for this pest not to spoil the entire crop, it is very important to fight it regularly

Agrotechnical methods of struggle

The favorite soils for wireworms are sour, damp, and weedy. It is also worth noting that wheatgrass is a favorite delicacy for them. In order to reduce the natural settlement of the wireworm to a minimum, deep digging of the soil should be carried out in the fall (the depth should reach 20-25 cm), including the turnover of layers. It is best to do this in September, when the pests begin to settle for the winter - most individuals freeze out as a result of such an event. Once again, the site is dug up in the spring. During digging in autumn and spring, wireworm larvae are collected by hand. And to deoxidize the soil when digging in the fall, chalk, ash or lime are added.

Timely weed control, and especially wheatgrass, will undoubtedly have a positive impact. If you leave tops or heaps of garbage on the site, this will definitely not lead to anything good. However, there are some advantages here - if you burn the tops that have lain down in the fall for a couple of weeks, this will contribute to the destruction of that part of the wireworm that was going to overwinter in it.

It is impossible not to mention that the wireworm can scare away literally all legumes. For a successful fight, they need to be planted not only around the site, but also in each hole at the same time as potatoes, which in itself is quite troublesome. Wireworms usually leave areas completely planted with legumes.

Sowing green manure will also be a good way to fight. It is necessary to sow them before winter, after harvesting potatoes. The first shoots appear in the fall, in the spring they are grown a little, after which, immediately before planting the potatoes, the siderates are dug into the soil. In addition to fighting the pest, this procedure improves and enriches the soil. The best result can be achieved by sowing the rape, but it is important to know that the rape is a weed, therefore it is always planted in the soil before the seeds appear.

other methods

There is a fairly effective, but at the same time very laborious way to eliminate the wireworm. It consists in catching the pest with specially prepared baits. The traps are checked every 2 to 3 days, and in each of them 8 to 10 larvae can often be found. Traps can be made by stringing slices of raw potatoes on sticks, which are then buried in the ground (leaving only the loose ends outside). As soon as the traps are checked, and the harmful larvae are collected, all the sticks are buried again, and this is done throughout the whole summer.

Another option for traps is glass jars, on the bottom of which beets, carrots or potatoes are laid. Such jars should be buried up to the very neck in shady places. Pest larvae are selected from them every 2 - 3 days. And so that the appetite of the larvae does not decrease, the slices on the slices are periodically renewed or replaced with a new bait.

Often, the wireworm is caught on the most ordinary fishing line with pieces of potatoes pre-strung on it at a distance of 10 cm from each other. A similar bait is buried in small grooves to a depth of 10 - 15 cm. 4 - 5 days later, the fishing line with the wireworm larvae is removed, and the larvae are burned or scalded with boiling water. You can also feed them to chickens - chickens very willingly eat wireworm larvae.

Pests usually leave potatoes alone if sprouted seeds of corn, barley, wheat, or potato slices are brought to their attention. These seeds are sown in the aisles just before the potatoes are planted. Subsequently, these plants are pulled out together with the larvae gathered on the roots. Grain crops are sown throughout the season, until the larvae are completely eliminated. Experienced summer residents also recommend treating seeds of corn, wheat, barley and other crops that serve as bait with drugs such as Karate or Decis before sowing. Then all the seeds are dried in the sun and sown.

The most harmless way to deal with the wireworm is to water the soil before planting with potassium permanganate. One bucket is enough for an average of 10-15 holes, while the solution should be pink.

In the event that all of the above methods did not meet expectations, a drug called "Bazudin" is used. However, it is very important not to forget that the diazinon contained in the preparation is highly toxic not only for humans, but also for other warm-blooded animals.