The wireworm, the larva of the click beetle, acts as a saboteur: it penetrates the soil unnoticed and turns the roots of tomatoes into dust in 72 hours.
Entomologist Maria Kovaleva , a leading researcher at the All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Protection, explains: “The larvae live in the soil for up to 5 years, migrating in search of food. They prefer acidic, moist soils, and purchased peat substrate is an ideal ‘home’ for them.”
The larvae look like yellow-brown worms 2-3 cm long with a dense chitinous cover.
The main sign is a characteristic click when crushed. The wireworm does not touch the stems, but makes passages in the roots through which fungi and bacteria penetrate.
The first symptoms: wilting of bushes in wet soil, a bluish tint to the leaves and holes in the tubers (if potatoes are growing nearby).
How to deal with wireworm
- Mustard apocalypse. Sow mustard a month before planting tomatoes. Its roots secrete sinigrin, a substance that paralyzes larvae.
- Diatomaceous earth. Sprinkle the powder (100 g per m²) around the bushes. Microscopic sharp particles destroy the chitin of the wireworm.
- Killer nematodes. The drug "Nemabakt" contains predatory worms that penetrate the larvae and devour them from the inside. Efficiency - 90% per season.
Effective preventive measures
1. Control acidity. Add dolomite flour (200 g per m²) once a month – wireworm hates alkaline soils.
2. Green manure bodyguards. After harvesting, sow the area with lupine or buckwheat. Their roots secrete alkaloids that repel the pest.
3. GPS Traps: Smart farmers use “Wireless Worm Trap” sensors that signal the appearance of larvae via a mobile app.
Why Chemistry Is a Bad Option
Insecticides like Prestige provide a temporary effect, but kill earthworms and accumulate in fruits. A study by Moscow State University (2024) has proven that tomatoes grown with chemical protection have nitrate levels that exceed the norm by 1.8 times.
Don't wait until the pest leaves only memories of your tomatoes. Check the soil today - tomorrow may be too late.
