Methods of fighting wireworms: what the pest is afraid of

08.03.2023 03:00

Many people know about the wireworm, which is found almost everywhere.

Garden enthusiasts know that these are the larvae of click beetles, of which there are many varieties, and in all of them they destroy the harvest.

Thin and long larvae are yellow or yellow-brown in color. The development cycle of a larva to a beetle takes 5 years. Two-year-old cubs are the most active and timid. It is almost impossible to step on a wireworm.

They are capable of destroying sprouting shoots. They do not care whether the plant is cultivated, decorative or weedy. They make passages in vegetables, which contributes to their rotting. Such roots cannot be stored.

The fight against wireworms must be carried out constantly. Timely and correct cultivation of the soil. When the soil freezes, the larvae penetrate deeper into the soil layers and winter there, returning to the surface in the spring.

Garden
Photo: © Belnovosti

Therefore, in late autumn, deep digging of the plot is required; a significant number of wireworms die with the onset of frost. Less deep cultivation of the plot is required before planting.

It is necessary to loosen the space between the rows in May-early June, then most of the beetles, larvae and eggs are destroyed. You can manually collect all the representatives of this pest that you come across and destroy them.

Weeds should not be allowed to grow in the garden and crops should be cut in time to eliminate favorable conditions.

It is important to avoid increasing the acidity of the soil, so liming and spreading ash is required.

Also effective is the application of ammonium sulfate in the spring, which is favorable for growth and unacceptable for wireworms.

Before sowing in early spring, various baits are used in the fight. For example, to catch females. Small bunches of dry grass are laid out on the plot, where they climb to lay eggs.

Small holes are also made where potato wedges, any peelings from cultural roots can be placed, sprinkling them with earth. The waste is then destroyed before sowing.

With the systematic use of various pest control methods, you can completely get rid of wireworms.

Elena Gutyro Author: Elena Gutyro Internet resource editor