How to get rid of wireworms: effective drugs and traditional methods. Wireworm: how to get rid of it in the fall What helps with wireworm in garden beds

Before we tell you how to deal with wireworms in the garden, let's figure out what kind of insect this is, actually? So, this is what the small and large larvae of the future are called - this is a small worm (2 cm long) of yellow or light brown color, shamelessly destroying our crops (for example, potatoes).

and habitat

The wireworm development cycle lasts for 5 years. In the first year, small light brown larvae appear, in the second and third years they grow, increasing in size, and in the fourth they become pupae. After 3 weeks, the latter turn into full-fledged click beetles. The fifth year of life of this pest is marked by the laying of new eggs.

The wireworm in the garden chooses acidic and damp soil, dense plantings and weeds that were not removed in a timely manner. Cannot tolerate thickets of legumes: peas, beans, beans.

"Combat" unit

Before we tell you how to deal with wireworms in the garden, I would like to make a small disclaimer. Remember! Wireworm larvae exist together with pupae and adult beetles! This is a full-fledged “combat unit”: small and large larvae, pupae and, strictly speaking, click beetles.

How to remove wireworms from the garden?

This will not be easy to do, but it is possible! Remember that this pest can be controlled in two ways: agrotechnical and chemical.

How to deal with wireworms in the garden? Agrotechnical methods

How to deal with wireworms in the garden? Chemical methods

Before sowing root crops and planting potatoes, add fertilizers containing ammonium to the soil.
Water the soil with a weak manganese solution.
Use the insecticide "Bazudin" ("Diazinon"). Based on the following dosage: 40 g per square meter soil. This is a wonderful option for combating wireworms in the event that the pest has taken over your entire garden.

And finally

Note that chemical methods much simpler than agricultural ones, but it is advisable to resort to them only in cases of toxicity (for example, the drug "Diazinon" is poisonous to humans and animals). That is why, if the number of wireworms in your garden is relatively small, limit yourself agrotechnical techniques! Good luck!

Wireworm - fighting it

Wireworm - a malicious pest of vegetable gardens

In terms of the general damage caused to the potato plot, the wireworm is perhaps not much inferior to the Colorado potato beetle. But they write and talk a lot about the Colorado potato beetle, advertising is replete with the names of the most fashionable drugs for successfully fighting the American “robber”, and the handsome beetle itself sits on potato tops like in a picture, and the leaves it has eaten immediately catch the eye. The wireworm is not seen or heard, it is not written about in advertising, and there are practically no available and widely available drugs to combat it. And therefore the wireworm carries out his “dirty” work without interference.

Most often, wireworms are found on heavy, clayey, moist soils at a depth of 10-12 cm. But if the top layer of soil is dry, then the larvae sink into deeper layers of soil. Click beetles and wireworms are very fond of perennial thickets of wheatgrass and acidic soils, this is their home, but in the summer the pests move from there to our gardens. That is why there are always a lot of wireworms on newly developed or weeded lands. And on loose, well-cultivated soils, this pest almost completely disappears over the years.

Wireworms are the larvae of click beetles. This interesting name beetles received for their ability to make a clicking sound while jumping or when the beetle, once on its back, assumes a normal position. The body length of the click beetle is 10-20 mm, the cover color is from dark brown to dark purple, it depends on the type of beetle and the soil. The beetles themselves are practically harmless, but their larvae are the most dangerous pests.

The development cycle of the click beetle is very long, lasting as long as 4-5 years. In early spring, female beetles, emerging from wintering, lay small white eggs under lumps of earth and under piles of plant debris, from which after 3-4 weeks small larvae hatch, which develop for 3-4 years. Therefore, wireworms of different generations with a length of 15 to 30 mm are simultaneously present in the soil.

The first year, wireworms in the soil are inactive, in the second year they acquire a yellow or light brown color and become very active. From this moment on, wireworms become one of the most dangerous pests of garden plants. By this time, its thin cylindrical body is clothed in a hard chitinous cover. Wireworms become very lump-like copper wire, for which they received such a name.

Wireworms easily move through the soil in search of food and areas with more favorable conditions for them. Such migrations are associated with changes in soil temperature and moisture. When the soil dries out, the larvae can go to a depth of up to 100 cm, and many larvae die. And when high humidity larvae gather in the surface layer 10-15 cm thick. In the fourth year adult larva pupates in the soil, and early in the spring a new generation of future underground “pirates” flies out of the soil.

The damage caused by wireworms to garden plants is enormous. They can destroy seedlings, eat up the tender roots and stems of young plants, but we usually explain all this by other reasons. Wireworms make numerous passages in roots and tubers vegetable plants, causing them to rot and making them unsuitable for storage. But we also notice this “work” of the wireworm only after harvesting root crops and potatoes.

It is very difficult to fight wireworms, but it must be done, and systematically. Since pesticides are used extremely rarely in amateur plots to combat wireworms, the main form of control is careful and timely tillage of the soil.

If there are a lot of wireworm larvae, then it is advisable to sow crops in areas that they do not like, for example, legumes. In late autumn, as well as spring processing soil and summer loosening, many larvae and eggs die, especially in spring and early summer, when they are laid, because beetle eggs become unviable under the sun's rays. In this case, it is necessary to immediately remove all detected beetles and larvae from the soil, as you do with the remains of wheatgrass rhizomes. At the same time, many larvae are pecked by birds.

If the site is very heavily infested with wireworms, you can try to dig up the soil in the fall much later than you usually do, preferably on the eve of the onset of stable frosts. In this case, larvae, pupae and beetles, unexpectedly finding themselves in top layer soils will simply die from low temperatures.

And since the pest prefers to live on acidic soils and in perennial wheatgrass thickets, it is necessary to very carefully monitor the acidity of the soil, liming it in a timely manner and periodically adding wood ash to it to reduce the acidity.

In small garden plots, laying out different baits gives excellent results. in early spring before sowing seeds, planting tubers and planting seedlings. To do this, small tubers of potatoes, carrots, and beets are cut into pieces, pinned on twigs and buried in the soil where wireworms are found, to a depth of 5-10 cm, cut down, or trapping grooves are made along the edges of the area and bait for the pest is placed there. After 2-3 days, the baits are inspected and the pests are destroyed by dousing them with boiling water. Then the same bait, having cut off the hardened part, is buried again.

But there is more tricky way the use of such baits. To do this, take glass jars with a capacity of 0.25 to 0.5 liters, put pieces of raw potatoes, carrots or beets on the bottom and bury them in the potato plot in the shade up to the neck. One jar is used per 10 m2 of planting. Every 3-4 days they collect “prey”, adding or replacing bait as necessary. This method can be used all summer.

To catch beetles, especially females, in beds in early spring, many gardeners place bunches of last year's half-rotted grass, hay or straw in small depressions in the soil, lightly moisten them and cover them with boards. After 2-3 days, such bait piles will be populated by beetles and larvae.

There is another effective, but time-consuming technique. 1.5-2 weeks before planting potatoes, nests of 10-15 grains of barley or oats are sown on the site every 70-80 cm. When seedlings appear, they are dug up and wireworms are selected.

It has long been noticed that the wireworm tries to avoid areas where legumes used to grow - beans, peas, beans. Therefore, it is necessary to try to plan your crop rotation so that root crops end up in the garden after legumes.

For the same purpose, it is useful to sow a “border” strip of beans along the sides of the garden, which border areas covered with turf. It will be even better if, on the potato plot, every 10 rows of potatoes you sow one row of beans. The female click beetle does not like the smell of these crops and will not lay eggs in an area near growing beans. Wireworms also do not like proximity to fragrant sweet clover.

For those who bought particularly valuable or rare varieties seed potatoes, we can recommend briefly soaking the tubers in an infusion of celandine.

Well, if you decide to shift all the burdens of pest control onto the “shoulders” of chemicals, then it is best to use the modern drug Bazudin. This is a long-acting drug - up to 6 weeks. It can be applied to the soil both when planting potatoes and when planting seedlings of other crops.

There is also a new biological method of combating wireworms and other soil-dwelling pests (except mole crickets) - nemabact. This is a predatory nematode that lives in symbiosis with bacteria. Penetrating through the mouth opening into the pest, the nematode releases a bacterium that tears the insides of the pest, and the nematode devours them. Then the nematode leaves an empty shell and goes to look for the next victim.

If you constantly follow these simple rules, and even involve your neighbors in this garden plot, then over the course of several years you can gradually get rid of the wireworm.

D. Chernyaeva

Nutcrackers are not as scary as their larvae - wireworms

Among the pests of agricultural plants, the most dangerous are the larvae of click beetles - wireworms. They are also called wireworms, or drupes, as they are very hard to the touch. The click beetles themselves cause little harm. They got their name because of the click they make when they roll over from their back to a natural position.

The beetles overwinter in the soil, most often at a depth of 15-40 cm, and emerge to the surface in the first half of May. During the day they are inactive and invisible. They move and fly after sunset. At this time, they feed by slightly gnawing the edges of the leaves. About two weeks after the start of summer and mating, females lay small piles of 200 or more eggs in the soil. Hatched larvae develop for more than 4 years. In the first year, these are small light yellow worms that live in the soil and feed on the underground parts of any plants. In the second or third year, they increase in size, acquire a yellow or light brown shiny color, and become hard to the touch. In the 4th year, pupae appear in June-August, and after two to three weeks they turn into beetles. Throughout the entire time, the larvae feed on seeds sown in the soil and underground parts of plants, and bite into root collar, roots, tubers, etc., causing great harm.

Wireworms are polyphagous. They damage many agricultural plants: corn, sugar and table beets, tobacco, wheat, rye, cabbage, carrots, onions, tomatoes. Buckwheat, flax, and peas are less affected. Most of all they “love” potatoes. With an average population of 6-8 larvae per square meter, 65% of the crop may be damaged. In spring, the peak of danger occurs on seedlings, in autumn - on tubers, in which wireworms make tunnels, reducing their marketable quality.

Wireworm: CONTROL AND PREVENTION MEASURES

It has been noted that the favorite food of wireworms is creeping wheatgrass, therefore, precisely where it and other cereal vegetation grow, these pests are especially numerous. Wireworms must be controlled immediately after harvesting. Last year's plant residues, where they accumulate for the winter, must be removed from the site. Late autumn digging of the soil (before the onset of stable frosts) to the full depth of the arable horizon helps to extract the larvae to the surface, where they die from the cold. Neutralization of acidic soils with ash, dolomite flour or lime is also not to the liking of wireworms. They do not do well in alkaline and even neutral soils. Pest infestation is reduced by 3-4 times.

Wireworm control must be carried out throughout the growing season. Important has the correct choice of predecessor. It has been noted that peas, beans, beans and oilseed radishes repel it. Therefore, it is recommended to place potatoes after these crops. Unfavorable conditions for the reproduction of these pests are created when ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate (20-30 g per 1 sq. m) is added to the soil, which helps to reduce the infestation of the area by almost half. Liquid organic fertilizers cause active migration of larvae into deeper layers of soil due to the toxic effects of the resulting ammonia.

Late harvesting of potatoes leads to severe damage to the tubers, so it is necessary to carry out early planting and harvesting. Creating a normal density of the stems of cultivated plants also worsens the living conditions of wireworms. Such areas do not attract female beetles. When choosing oviposition sites, they settle on sparse and clogged crops.

Weed control, primarily wheatgrass, is of particular importance. Dust-filled lands are the best place for wireworms to reproduce; outbreaks with the most severe damage occur there. It is not advisable to plant potatoes and other crops on them. But if there is no other place, bait crops are used. You can sow corn, oats or barley seeds treated with insecticides (Karate, Decis, etc.) one to two weeks before planting potatoes. The death of wireworms is also caused by introducing insecticides into the soil before plowing or during planting, which you can prepare yourself. To do this, 5 kg of granulated superphosphate is scattered thin layer on plastic film and sprayed with one of the following preparations: “Actellik” - 15 ml, “Decis” - 0.4 ml, “Karate” - 1 ml, “Fastak” - 2 ml, which are diluted in a water-acetone solution (800 ml water + 200 ml of acetone). The superphosphate treated in this way is dried in the shade and spread in a belt manner over an area of up to 100 sq.m. After which the area is immediately plowed. When planting potatoes under a shovel, 5-7 granules of this poisoned fertilizer are added into the hole along with the tuber.

Instead of superphosphate, you can use sawdust from deciduous trees (5 kg). They also need to be scattered in a thin layer on plastic film and sprayed with one of the above-mentioned insecticides using a sprayer or watering can.

You can also prepare a solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 liters of water) and water it on the soil before planting tubers (0.5 liters per hole or under a bush). Some vegetable growers recommend watering potatoes two or three times with an interval of 7 days with a 3-day infusion of crushed plant mass of celandine (100 g), nettle (500 g), dandelions (200 g), coltsfoot (200 g) per 10 l water.

The main crop is sown with lettuce as bait, which will definitely be visited by click beetles. At this time, it is dug up and larvae are collected around the roots. In summer cottages, you can lay out food baits in spring and autumn (for example, potatoes, watermelon rinds, etc.), embedding them to a depth of 5 to 20 cm. Wireworms crawl towards them from short distances, so there should be no space between the baits more than a meter. Their location is marked with pegs. The largest number of larvae crawl to the “treat” on the 3-4th day. At this time, baits with larvae are removed and burned.

Surprisingly, the crop that helps eliminate wireworms is potatoes, although they themselves suffer greatly from it. However complete destruction cereal weeds, especially wheatgrass, and repeated inter-row cultivation create unfavorable conditions for the life and development of this pest. It was found that when feeding only on potatoes, click beetle larvae cannot complete their development cycle and die.

In our area, female click beetles lay eggs in the first half of summer, and pupation occurs in July. At this time, tillage and loosening of row spacing to a depth of 10-12 cm are useful. Larvae and pupae plowed to the surface are exposed to the adverse effects of weather and die, and are also pecked by birds.

Chemical methods for exterminating wireworms in country houses and personal plots should be used with great caution, since along with wireworms, a large number of earthworms and beneficial microorganisms die.

A. V. Gorny , Candidate of Agricultural Sciences

Wireworm is an annoying pest

It is unlikely that any of the farmers have not encountered wireworms - the larvae of click beetles. They were named so for their ability to make a clicking noise while jumping; when the beetle, finding itself on its back, assumes a normal position. There are many species of click beetles. They are found everywhere, and many of them are dangerous pests for plants.

Thus, the larvae of the striped, dark, shiny click beetle damage cereal crops, sunflower, tobacco. Larvae of other species damage potatoes, vegetables, seeds, seed sprouts, seedlings, etc. According to the Siberian Research Institute of Horticulture named after. M. A. Lisavenko, plant roots in Siberian gardens They damage the larvae of several dozen species of click beetles.

The most common are the following: striped, Siberian, brown-legged, wide, red-brown, sowing, dark... The beetles are relatively small, 7-20 mm long. The cover color is dark brown, brown-brown, dark purple and depends both on the type of insect and on the soil where it lives. They fly different types beetles from spring to early August. They feed mainly on leaves cereal plants, and by themselves do not cause significant harm to plants. Their larvae are harmful to all living things, and we fight them with varying degrees of success.

Beetles lay eggs in the surface layer of soil, under lumps of soil, in cracks, under hummocks of abandoned weeds. The fertility of one female is 120-200 eggs. Masonry is carried out in small piles of 3-5 pieces. The eggs are small, 0.35 mm, white, light. After 20-40 days, depending on the type of click beetle and weather conditions, larvae hatch from the eggs, which grow and develop in the ground for 3-5 years.

In the first year, the larvae that appear are very small and cultivated plants do not damage. In the second year, they increase in size to 15-30 mm, depending on the type, acquire a yellow or light brown color, and become very mobile. Their bodies are thin and very hard, which is why they are called wireworms. It is very difficult to crush a wireworm; it is easier to tear it apart. The larvae become most harmful from the second year to the fourth.

In the fourth year, from mid-summer (July-August), wireworms pupate in the soil, in the surface layer. The beetles that emerge from them in the fall remain to overwinter in the soil. In the spring of the fifth year, beetles begin a new cycle of generation development. The damage caused by wireworms is enormous, since there are practically no plants that they disdain at all stages of plant development: from seeds to mature root crops and simply roots, stems, etc.

It is difficult to fight wireworms, but it must be done, and done systematically. The natural enemies of wireworms in the soil are predatory ground beetles - black, fast running beetles that live in the soil. Gardeners very often mistake ground beetles for harmful insects and when loosening and digging they try to destroy them. And in vain! Ground beetles are our allies and helpers; they eat wireworm eggs and larvae.

The fight against wireworms in a garden plot begins with careful and timely tillage of the soil. Eggs especially die en masse in May-June, when egg laying occurs, with frequent loosening, especially after watering. By the way, more eggs and larvae are retained in damp, thickened crops. Sites should not be allowed to become clogged, especially with perennial rhizomatous weeds (wheatgrass, sow thistle, bindweed, etc.). The succulent roots of weeds in spring are a favorite food for hungry caterpillars.

The pest does not tolerate neutral and alkaline soils, that is, it settles in more acidic ones. And slightly acidic soils (Ph 5.5 - 6.5) are needed by most gardening and ornamental crops. So what should we do?

Official science still recommends deoxidizing the soil with lime, dolomite flour, and ash. But this should only be done on acidic soils. Scientists have found that ammonia forms of nitrogen fertilizers are poisonous for wireworms, so in the spring, during digging or loosening, you need to add 25 g of 1 m2 of ammonium sulfate or 100-200 g of 10% ammonia - ammonia water. The liquid is poured into pre-made grooves 5-10 cm deep and immediately, instantly leveled so that the ammonia does not evaporate into the air. This will improve plant nutrition and neutralize wireworms.

From the experience of gardeners, it is known that adding crushed and sifted coal slag (up to 1 liter per 1 sq. m) when digging the soil significantly reduces wireworm damage. Large numbers of larvae can be caught using succulent baits made from root vegetables. It is better to do this on ridges covered with film to warm the soil faster.

For baits, cut small tubers of potatoes or root vegetables (turnips, rutabaga, radishes, kohlrabi; beets, etc.) into pieces, stick twigs or pieces of wire into them and bury them to a depth of 5-7 cm, with a distance between the holes of 0. 5-1 m, cuts down. The soil is first well loosened or dug up. Every 2-3 days, the slices are removed and the wireworms that have climbed into them are selected (the procedure is repeated 2-3 times, updating the sections or burying new slices of root vegetables). This should be done 10-15 days before planting potatoes and other crops. After sowing or planting, the semolina are again laid out along the rows.

In potato plots, 1-2 weeks before planting tubers, you can plant swollen seeds of oats, barley, wheat, corn and even zucchini, pumpkins, and cucumbers in nests (2-3 per 1 sq. m). The emerging shoots are dug up with a clod of earth and the wireworms that come across are destroyed. By the way, wireworms do little damage to beans and peas, so scientists recommend sowing root crops where peas, beans or beans grew the previous year. Sowing these crops along the borders of turf areas (bed lines, grassed paths) will delay the migration of larvae to your beds from the virgin soil. They need to be sown early.

To save seedlings from wireworms, a day before planting, you need to water the soil in the holes with a solution of potassium permanganate (3-4 g per 10 water). Pour 0.5-1 liters into the hole; the wireworms die. But the soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline; in acidic soils, manganese will be harmful and your seedlings may suffer.

Pesticides can also be used against click beetle larvae, but you must work strictly according to the instructions. Permitted poisons: bazudine - granules, diazinon - granules, karate - emulsion concentrate, pochin - granules, nemabact - aqueous suspension.

In areas where there are no perennial weeds, wireworms can be removed in 2-3 years by adding to the soil mineral fertilizers: superphosphate, ammonium sulfate, potassium salt - at the rates recommended in conventional agricultural technology. It is better if you introduce them into the planting hole.

Albina Reshchikova

Surely many of you, when peeling potatoes, have encountered such a phenomenon as a thin black winding thread passing through a potato tuber. Such a wormhole cannot be removed without cutting the tuber in half or into pieces, and it is easier to throw it away than to clean it. And the wireworm, the larva of the click beetle, causes such damage to potatoes.

They call it that because of its similarity in appearance to a piece of yellow wire. Due to its durable yellow-brown cover, it is quite difficult to crush the wireworm.

The click beetle is a beetle 15-16 mm long, brown, black, yellow in color with a metallic tint. When the beetle is turned upside down, it jumps up and makes a clicking sound, which is why it is called the click beetle.

Click beetles do not cause much harm to plants. Great harm They are caused by wireworm larvae. Their lifespan in the ground reaches 3.5 years. The roots of ornamental and cultivated plants serve as food. They make holes in root crops, reducing quality and marketability. The larvae are found in the ground at a depth of 10-12 cm, feed and pupate. After 15-20 days, young offspring appear and overwinter in the ground.

The emergence of beetles begins in spring and ends in early June. They lay eggs on the soil.

Wireworms damage potatoes, all root vegetables, roots of aster and lettuce seedlings.

The problem of wireworm pests in gardens is truly unpleasant and is comparable in scale to the problem of combating the resilient Colorado potato beetle.

It’s rare that a garden does not suffer from wireworms, except perhaps the one in which green manure is constantly planted - mustard, peas and phacelia, which repel the pest.

There are many other methods, but it is unlikely that any one remedy will help completely cope with the click beetle and its larvae; a whole range of measures must be carried out.

The most effective ways to combat wireworms

1. Good results gives the following technique: a couple of weeks before planting potatoes, sow five to seven islands of barley or oats every 70 centimeters. When the seedlings appear, dig them up, select and destroy the pest (it is best to burn the oats).

2. Lime the soil. When planting root crops, spread lime over the surface or add it to the hole when planting. It is best to lime the soil with limestone (dolomite) flour. It is applied to the soil once every three to four years. When planting potatoes and tomatoes, add flour in advance, and add flour to cabbage immediately before planting.

3. Apply ammonium nitrate and naphthalene during digging. But remember that dolomite flour, as well as lime, cannot be mixed with ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, urea, superphosphate and manure.

4. Pour ground eggshells into the root holes.

5. Be sure to add wood ash to the holes (preferably a full scoop into each hole).

6. Soak potato tubers in onion broth before planting. This is both a means of combating wireworms and a means of preventing diseases.

7. Water the holes with a solution of potassium permanganate when planting root crops. 5 gr. Dilute potassium permanganate in 10 liters of water. Pour 0.5 liters of this solution into one well. The disadvantage of this method is that such processing cannot be carried out over large areas.

8. Pour a handful of mustard powder into the hole when planting root crops. The wireworm really doesn't like mustard.

9. Pour a pinch of salt into the hole when planting potatoes. ATTENTION: according to some gardeners, this method can reduce potato yields! The fact is that salt has a very aggressive effect on all plants. Even the most persistent weeds die from it. Therefore, you should use this method only after you have done such processing very thoroughly. small area, ensure that there is no crop loss.

10. Before planting root crops, seeds and holes can be treated according to the instructions with a solution special insecticides(contact insecticides) or apply preparations to each hole when planting. ATTENTION: when purchasing insecticides, take into account the fact that with repeated use of only one drug against pests, especially those with a short life cycle, resistance to them develops!

11. Treat the holes with herbal infusions:

Prepare the infusion of celandine in advance and leave for three days, leave the remaining solutions for at least 12 hours. Take 100 gr. raw materials, chop, add 10 liters of water.
nettle infusion: 500 gr. chopped herbs pour 10 liters of water.
dandelion infusion: 200 gr. chopped herbs pour 10 liters of water.
infusion of coltsfoot: 200 gr. chopped herbs pour 10 liters of water.

Ten liters of such a solution should be enough for at least twenty holes. Repeat this procedure two or three times every seven days.

12. Plant beans or beans in a hole or between potato plants. It is best to plant beans not at the time of planting potatoes, but later. The fact is that beans - heat-loving plant, and potatoes are planted during a fairly cold period of the growing season. The beans may simply not germinate. ATTENTION: beans and beans cannot be replaced with peas, as these peas and potatoes are incompatible in the same planting!

13. Along the perimeter potato field plant marigolds and calendula, which repel pests with their scents. If the plot is large, then flowers should be planted throughout the entire field.

14. Before planting root crops, do autumn (winter) sowing of green manure: mustard, peas, lupine and phacelia. Potato pests do not like the root secretions of these plants. In addition, green manure will significantly improve the quality of the soil, as it is an excellent organic fertilizer comparable in quality to manure.

15. Organize joint plantings of root crops with spring rapeseed and mustard, which, without waiting for flowering, are cut and embedded in the soil.

16. Plant lettuce among the main root crops. The wireworm loves to feed on the roots of this plant. When the lettuce begins to wilt, dig it up and collect the click beetle larvae around the roots.

17. Make baits from halves of raw potatoes and other root vegetables, placed in the soil to a depth of 5-10 cm near the plant you want to protect. Every 2-3 days, replace the potatoes with fresh ones, and destroy the pests that have accumulated on the old ones. To avoid losing buried potatoes, place them on pegs.

18. On your site, make small depressions in the soil and place half-rotted grass (hay or straw) left over from last year in them, moisten them with water and cover them with boards. Beetles happily crawl into such shelters in search of food, and in just a couple of days the grass will be full of them. Collect it and burn it. You can repeat this operation several times in the summer. WARNING: Nutcracker traps are very effective method, since the female lays about 200 eggs over the summer; By destroying one beetle, you can prevent the appearance of a huge number of its larvae - wireworms.

19. Control weeds in a timely manner, especially wheatgrass, which the wireworm loves most.

20. Immediately after harvesting potatoes, clear the field of all plant debris, including small tubers.

21. Carefully dig up the area in late autumn so that the larvae end up on the surface of the ground and freeze.

You can choose several methods that best suit you to combat wireworms and, with a little effort and the necessary patience, you will certainly defeat this malicious pest.

Have a rich harvest!

Like Colorado beetle, is one of the main pests that destroy potato crops, and specialized means for effective fight there is not much to it, and many people are generally unaware of the activities of this insect.

This article will tell you how to get rid of wireworms in your garden forever, protecting your potatoes from it.

Here you will learn how to get rid of it in your garden.

Who is a wireworm?

Today, tens of thousands of species of click beetles are known, all of their larvae are called wireworms. At the beginning of spring, female click beetles create clutches in the ground consisting of 3-5 small white eggs, from which the first larvae soon emerge.

They are distinguished by a long development cycle; to degenerate into a sexually mature beetle, the wireworm requires at least 5 years. During this period of life, the basis of the diet is root shoots and tubers of various plants, but they begin to pose a threat to potatoes only in the second year.

Beginner gardeners may not even be aware of the presence of wireworms, but more experienced people quickly notice the characteristic signs of its presence.

The larvae themselves look like this:

The wireworm has an external resemblance to an ordinary worm, but has a shiny shell that performs protective functions.
The color of the larvae can vary from straw yellow to light brown.
The body is characterized by increased smoothness and density; these characteristics are provided by the outer shell.
The body of the larva is divided into separate segments, which are clearly visible even with the naked eye.
The length depends on the stage of development and age, usually it is approximately 1.5-2cm.
Behavior and appearance provide a resemblance to a small piece of wire, for this reason the larvae received the corresponding name. It is very difficult or almost impossible to crush them; it is much easier to tear the wireworm into several parts.

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How to deal with wireworm?

The fight against potato wireworm will be effective if you use several different methods at once.

Below are the main ways to get rid of this pest:

The use of various chemicals to kill insects and their larvae.
Disembarkation between potato rows lettuce bushes, because they root system is more attractive to the wireworm, which allows.
Pre-sowing cereal crops that act as bait. The seedlings are then destroyed along with the larvae that have collected on them.
Reducing soil acidity, for this purpose liming of the soil is practiced.
Fertilizing the soil with superphosphate, which not only has a positive effect on the quality of the soil, but also reduces the survival rate of larvae in it.
Watering the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate is the safest method of controlling wireworms, but this method is effective only if there are a small number of larvae.
In summer and autumn, small piles of straw or tops are laid out around the site different cultures. Gradually, wireworms will begin to gather under them, so the traps must be checked and burned periodically.
Plowing the garden before sowing crops.

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Methods to combat wireworms

Methods for combating this pest can be divided into three main groups:

use of chemical or biological agents;
mechanical destruction;
using traditional methods.

Methods to combat it, as well as their main features, are discussed in detail below in the article.

Chemicals

Modern chemicals control of wireworms allows not only to completely get rid of the pest in a potato field, but also to ensure reliable protection from its reappearance. There are various options for drugs that help in the process of combating wireworms, each of them is discussed in detail below.

"Prestige"

The drug "Prestige" is one of the most popular means for combating wireworms.

Its main features are as follows:

The drug is available in the form of a suspension; before treating the soil, 10 ml of the substance must be diluted in 10 liters of water.
The diluted product is poured into pre-prepared holes immediately before planting the potatoes.
The solution can be used to provide protection to others vegetable crops, ornamental plants or bushes. Depending on their size and stage of growth, watering can be done using a watering can.
It takes about 2 months for the active substances of Prestige to completely dissolve in the soil, after which the protective functions weaken and the drug does not pose any threat to human health.

"Taboo"

The drug "Tabu" is one of the analogues of "Prestige", its cost-effectiveness goes well with high degree efficiency.

The main features are as follows:

For getting ready solution It is necessary to dilute 10 ml of suspension in 1.5 liters of water.
Treatment is allowed only at the time of planting the crop, since a significant amount of time must pass before harvesting so that all active substances have time to dissolve in the soil.
The root crops themselves, which will be used for planting, are subject to processing. They can be buried in the ground only after they have completely dried.

Diazinon

Often, various preparations or baits based on diazinon are used to combat wireworms.

This substance is highly toxic and can pose a serious threat to the health of humans or warm-blooded pets, therefore, when using it, you must be careful and strictly follow the attached instructions.

Products containing diazinon are usually used in the presence of a large number of pests, since in such situations their effectiveness is 20-23% higher than that of “Prestige” or “Taboo”.

The consumption rates of such products depend on the concentration of the toxic substance. Most experts recommend using the drug "Diazinon 10% Gr".

It has the following features:

The release is carried out in the form of granules; there is no need to dilute them in water or carry out any additional manipulations.
The granules are applied to the ground in the spring, after which they are buried in soil.
The drug has a wide spectrum of action; it will protect planted crops not only from wireworms, but also from many other common types of pests.

"Thunderbolt-2"

One of the most popular baits based on diazinon is “Gromoboy-2”, with its help you can get rid of even the largest populations of wireworms.

Using of this product The following rules must be observed:

Baits are placed in the ground, the optimal depth varies from 3 to 6 cm depending on the characteristics of the soil.
It is important to ensure compliance with the substance concentration standards; no more than 2-3g of the drug is consumed for each square meter of a garden or field.

“Medvedtox-U” is no less popular, since this product is distinguished not only by a high degree of efficiency, but also by its versatility: it provides reliable protection simultaneously from wireworms and another common underground pest -.

Apply it as follows:

Soil cultivation is carried out even before planting potatoes or other crops.
The drug is scattered along the perimeter of the field, beds or the boundaries of other areas where planting is planned.
After such treatment, the preparation must be sprinkled with a small layer of earth, its thickness is 0.5-1 cm.
Immediately after this, the soil is abundantly moistened, since Medvedtox-U begins to perform its functions only after getting wet.

"Calypso"

The product "Calypso" is an insecticidal drug that is equally effective against virtually any type of pest.

Its main features that must be taken into account before use are discussed below:

When using Calypso, it is important to ensure that no volumes of the drug enter ponds or other water sources, since it is toxic to the organisms living in them.
The drug is less dangerous for warm-blooded creatures, but you should still avoid getting it into the digestive system, as skin covering or mucous membranes. It is also recommended to limit the access of pets to the treated areas throughout the day.
The drug must not be used with other insecticides, fertilizers or other products that are alkaline or contain copper in any volume.
To obtain a solution, 1 ml of Calypso must be dissolved in 2 liters of water. The same product can be used for external treatment of plants if clusters of insects are noticed on their surface.
The action begins 2-3 hours after treatment, protection against the reappearance of pests lasts a month.

"Provotox"

The drug "Provotox" is available in granular form; it has a toxic effect both when it enters the digestive system of pests and during normal contact.

Other features of the drug are as follows:

One granule of the drug must be placed in each planting hole; the distance from the potato tuber should be 2-3 cm. If this rule is followed, the product is not toxic to the crop.
Unlike most analogues, Provotox does not cause addiction among pests; the granules can be used every season and their effectiveness will not decrease.
The protective functions will be maintained throughout the season; it is enough to use the drug in the spring and the wireworm will not appear in the garden until next year.

"Bazudin"

The main active ingredient of "Bazudin" is diazinon, its concentration is quite high, so the drug is different increased degree toxicity and should be used with caution.

The main features of this tool are discussed below:

“Bazudin” can be used to combat not only wireworms, but also the larvae of other insects living in the soil. It has no effect on earthworms and Californian worms.
The drug is toxic to aquatic organisms and cold-blooded creatures, for this reason the introduction of any quantities into bodies of water should be avoided.
The drug is applied to the surface of the soil in a thin layer, after which it should be buried with soil. The recommended depth for controlling wireworms varies from 5 to 15 cm depending on the type of soil.
The active substances begin to act within 24 hours after application; if the drug gets wet, a persistent unpleasant odor may appear.
The period of protection against wireworms is approximately 1.5 months.

"Nemabakt"

Nemabact should be used in accordance with the following instructions:

Packages with the product are placed outdoors for some time in a place where direct contact does not occur. Sun rays. These measures are necessary for high-quality acclimatization of nematodes.
It is necessary to prepare several buckets of water, the temperature of which corresponds street conditions; stretch a mosquito net at the edges.
The contents of the package with the product are poured onto the mesh and moistened, after which you need to wait 1-1.5 hours.
It is necessary to water the garden with this water in the evening hours, it is advisable to do this during wet weather. If there is a long drought, the soil is pre-moistened with a hose.
One bucket of nematodes is usually enough to treat 100 square meters of area.
The remains of the foam rubber that was in the package do not have to be thrown away: it can be buried somewhere near the place where the potatoes were planted. The nematodes remaining in it will gradually move into the soil.

Stories from our readers!
"We have always used fertilizers and fertilizers in our garden. A neighbor said that he soaks the seeds using new fertilizer. The seedlings grow strong and strong.

We ordered and followed the instructions. Wonderful results! We didn't expect this! We harvested a wonderful harvest this year, and now we will always use only this product. I recommend trying it."

Fighting wireworms with folk remedies

Many people in force various reasons do not want to use chemicals containing insecticides on their site. For this reason, folk methods of combating wireworms have still not lost their relevance, some of the most common and effective options are given below.

Onion peel

For a long time, onion peel has been a human assistant in the fight against various types of insects and their larvae.

It can be used against wireworms in the following ways:

Pour dry onion peels into the holes before planting the tubers., however, its quantity must be large enough to repel the pest. This method is not recommended to be practiced in windy weather, since most of the husk will be blown away by strong gusts.
Preparation of a decoction based on onion peels. It can be used to treat the soil in planting holes or the potato tubers themselves, after which the wireworm will lose interest in them.

Green manure

Planting green manure on an area that is then planned to be used as a potato field. This method is quite effective, but requires additional time and effort to grow crops.

The following can act as green manure:

Phacelia, which repels not only wireworms, but also many other pests.
Mustard is the most popular green manure because it not only provides protection against pests, but also improves the soil.
Various legumes, ordinary peas are the most effective.

Mustard powder

Using mustard powder is a good alternative to the previous method if there is no time or desire to grow mustard in a potato field. The product is completely natural, so it does not pose a threat to human health, and it can be used to protect many cultivated crops.

Many summer residents advise mixing mustard powder with pre-ground hot red pepper, which will significantly increase its effectiveness.

Root baits

Many summer residents use natural bait; for this you can use potato tubers, other varieties of root vegetables, and sprouted cereal crops. They are placed in the ground to a depth of no more than 10 cm even before the potatoes are planted, and after some time they are removed out along with the wireworm, which is then subject to destruction.

This technique is guaranteed to get rid of detected pests, but it has two significant drawbacks:

The need to waste time and effort on burying and then removing baits.
Possibility of destroying only detected larvae and lack of protection against pests.

Reducing soil acidity

Reducing the acidity of the soil also helps in the fight against wireworms; for this purpose, liming is usually practiced.

To do this, you need to add one of the following components to the ground:

Chalk powder.
Ground wood ash.
Lime.
Coal dust.

All these components can be scattered over the surface of a potato field, but their application into planting holes is much more effective. Lime can be mixed with onion peels, which will create additional protection.

Fertilizers containing ammonia and minerals

Regular use of various fertilizers that contain ammonia and minerals is effective way combating wireworms or preventing their appearance in the potato field.

For these purposes it is used ammonium sulfate or ammonia water, which must be brought into deep soil layers to prevent rapid weathering of basic substances. The consumption rate is about 20-30g of fertilizer per square meter of land.

Ground eggshells

Ground eggshells have been used in gardens for quite some time, including to combat wireworms. It allows you to get rid of pests by simply scattering
it on the surface of the soil of a potato field.

But this method is not without the following disadvantages:

The process is labor-intensive if a large area is allocated for potato crops.
The need to renew the husks on the surface of the earth throughout the season.
The need to have large reserves of the product, since the consumption will be rather large.

Potassium permanganate solution

The soil, before planting potatoes in it, can be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate - this is the most gentle and safe method of combating wireworms. However, it must be taken into account that it will allow achieving positive result only with a small number of pests.

Dosages should look like this:

To prepare 10 liters of solution, no more than 5g of potassium permanganate is diluted in water.
10 liters of solution is used to treat 10-15 planting holes.

Seasonal digging

Seasonal digging of a potato field should be carried out at least twice a year - in autumn and spring. The autumn procedure is most important, since along with clods of earth, wireworms also appear on the surface and die after the temperature drops.

Such measures do not get rid of all pests, but they significantly reduce their number and make it easier to combat them in the warm season.

Preventive actions

Every summer resident should know not only how to get rid of wireworms when planting potatoes, but also have information about the necessary preventive measures.

Following following rules will significantly reduce the likelihood of this pest appearing in the garden:

It is necessary to change the location of the potato field every 2-3 years. When choosing a new location, you need to pay attention to the beds where legumes were previously grown.
Seasonal digging of a potato field should be carried out even in the absence of a pest.
Periodically it is necessary to loosen the soil.
All weeds must be removed promptly.
The torn tops should not remain on the potato field for a long time.
Root crops should not be left in the ground over the winter, as they will be the main source of food for pests.
In the immediate vicinity of planting potatoes, you can organize a flowerbed with marigolds: the aroma of these flowers has a deterrent effect on wireworms.
Chickens can be periodically released into the potato field to hunt wireworms.
It is recommended to attract the attention of toads and frogs to the potato planting site by any means, since they eat wireworms as food.

Wireworm is less known, but the same dangerous pest for potatoes, like the Colorado potato beetle. A large number of larvae can reduce harvest volumes several times, so even in their absence, you should remember the possible danger and take action preventive measures. They do not require much time or effort, and even novice gardeners can cope with them.

How to get rid of wireworms in the garden? This question worries many summer residents. The pest happily makes holes in beets, carrots, and potatoes. He does not disdain corn and barley.

The fight against it is complex. All methods are divided into two types: agrotechnical and chemical. You can find the most unusual ways on the Internet. Some are dubious, so let's find out.

Agrotechnical measures

Maintaining crop rotation. Every year, move the planting to another place, while returning to the old one no earlier than after 4 seasons. It’s good if the area of the site allows this. But some gardeners are forced to plant, for example, potatoes for many years in a row in the same place.

The life cycle of the click beetle is 5 years. For 4 of these years he is just a larva, the same wireworm. Therefore, the method only works with a five-year crop rotation.

Humidity. Wireworm loves moisture in the soil. If there is a lack of it, the larvae die. Well, yes, in the dry summer of 2010, almost all summer residents in the country complained about it. And only those who had the opportunity to constantly water their plantings did not see this nasty worm.

Accordingly, the larvae love dry soil. At normal humidity The wireworm cannot always find food. And when it is elevated, he loses the ability to move and suffocates.

Hence the conclusion - put all your efforts into normal watering. Otherwise, you will again collect the remains of holey root vegetables.

Weeding. Very often you can see the following picture: beautiful well-groomed vegetable gardens, and in the spaces between them there are thickets of wheatgrass, burdock, and thistle. And then the owners complain about the ineffectiveness of the weeding method. They say their garden is clean, but the wireworm is raging.

Keep not only the beds clean, but also the lines between them and adjacent areas. Remove wheatgrass, burdock and thistle. If you need a grassy border between vegetable gardens, then sow it with clover or lupine. The wireworm can't stand them. Because on their roots live huge colonies of nodule bacteria that produce nitrogen. And the larvae do not like mineral salts and fertilizers.

Joint plantings. It is for the above reason that it is recommended to plant legumes in the same hole with potatoes. Of course, on large area this is problematic to do. But in a small area everyone can do it. At the same time it saves space.

It’s just important to remember: if potatoes are treated with insecticides, then the whole green blades of legumes cannot be eaten. But ripe beans, peas or beans are quite suitable for eating after shelling.

If you are still afraid that you will eat poison, then leave the harvest for joint planting next year.

Traps. The most effective method of disposal. But very labor-intensive. Although, do you need your harvest intact? No damage, rot, holes? Then let's get started:

Throughout the gardening season, barley or corn seeds are planted in the affected area. For each hundred square meters, 9-12 holes are dug with a depth of no more than 5 cm. 16-18 grains soaked in insecticide are placed at the bottom. Sprinkle with earth. As soon as the first sprouts appear, they dig out the contents of the hole and are surprised at the number of larvae. Then they are taken outside the site and burned. Because it is very difficult to crush a dense larva. If you are not squeamish, you can tear each one in half with your fingers.
They make the same holes, only instead of grains they pour a handful of raw fresh manure or rotted wet grass. Just don’t sprinkle it with earth, but cover it with scraps of boards or pieces of slate. After 2 days you can harvest the “harvest”.
Cut old root vegetables into medium cubes and soak them in a solution of any insecticide for 2 hours. Then they are buried in the same holes as described above. There is no need to dig them up, because the wireworm will eat the poisoned treat and die.
If you are against using chemicals on your site, then drop in cubes of root vegetables without pre-soaking. Then every 3 days you will have to pick out the bait from the holes and take it outside the site. There it must be burned along with the pests. In order for them to burn well, they are either thrown into a powerful fire, or doused in the old fashioned way with kerosene (gasoline) and set on fire.
Place a piece of root vegetable on a twig, stick or wire. Bury the structure to a depth of about 12 cm so that a visible tail remains on the surface. After a day or two, you can dig up the “good” and admire the vile guests.
Lay strips of polyethylene or oilcloth on the beds and grease them with thick sugar syrup. Adult beetles and many other pests flock to such bait. But they will no longer be able to peel off and run away. Just use this method in early spring or autumn, when there is no active summer of bees and bumblebees. Otherwise, they will also stick to the stripes in pursuit of sweets.
In glass or plastic containers Place finely chopped root vegetables, pour in a little liquid sugar syrup. Place it in the area so that the neck of the container is at a depth of 1-1.5 cm below the soil level. They check every day. There will be both wireworm larvae and beetles inside. You don’t have to add syrup, then be sure to take a vessel with a narrow neck so that the adults cannot fly out.

Additives during planting. Some substances are placed in the hole along with the tuber that kill or repel the wireworm.

Specialized soil. It says “Protection” on the packaging. You only need a pinch of it. This soil contains a predatory nematode that does not harm club or other insects. But he really likes to eat wireworm larvae. You can also pour a thin layer of such soil into the garden bed before sowing beet and carrot seeds. Sometimes one application every 4 years is enough. The nematode destroys from 70 to 99% of the larvae.
Eggshells, finely ground. Mix with aromatic sunflower oil in a ratio of 1 to 1. A dessert spoon is enough for one hole. Having tasted such a treat, the wireworm dies almost immediately.
Handful onion peel or dry citrus peels. Also applied at planting. According to reviews, it repels many pests well.
Dry pine or spruce needles. Matchbox for one planting hole.

Salt. Simple kitchen table salt. It is generously scattered over the surface of the earth, then harrowed. The wireworm quickly leaves such soil. But the procedure can be repeated only after 7 years, not earlier. Otherwise, the lion's share of the harvest will go along with the pest.

Digging. In the fall, after the onset of the first stable frosts, the soil is deeply plowed or dug up. Pupated larvae and overwintering adults will die from frost. In this case, the processing depth must be at least 16-18 cm, otherwise there will be no use.

In the spring, immediately after the ground thaws, but before the main planting begins, it is recommended to dig up the beds again, carefully breaking up large clods. sunlight destructive for overwintered larvae. And the rest will be picked up by the birds.

Chemical measures

Liming. This nasty insect loves acidic soils. Therefore, be sure to deoxidize the soil regularly. This may be the addition of lime, chalk, dolomite flour, ash. Only ash should come from deciduous trees.

Legendary potassium permanganate. Before planting, spill the soil with a warm pale pink solution. Cultivated plants can be planted and sown no earlier than one day after such treatment.

In early spring, immediately after the soil warms up, and in August, after harvesting, they do not wait for the pest to crawl to other feeding areas. Spray the soil thoroughly with a strong dark burgundy solution at a temperature of about 80°C. At the same time, pickle most of the pathogenic bacteria and pathogens.

Pre-planting treatment of tubers. They are sprayed with special long-acting preparations. Within 56-58 days there is protection from pests. After this period, the wireworm will again attack the plantings. However, if during these two months you carried out other activities, then it is quite possible that there will simply be no one to devour the harvest.

Mineral salts. Adding ammonium sulfate to the ground before planting. For 1 sq. m. 16-18 g of fertilizer is enough. Spread evenly over the soil surface and cover with a flat cutter, rake or harrow. Subsequent watering or natural rain will allow the mineral salt to penetrate into the deeper layers. The larvae really do not like such additives. Can be replaced with ammonium nitrate. The dosage is identical.

There is a recipe that, according to reviews, also works well. It is necessary to dilute 2 ml in 10 liters of water ammonia. Water the plantings at the roots with this solution. Up to half a liter per plant. Treatment is carried out once a month.

Plant tagetes (marigolds) along the perimeter of the site and, if possible, between the rows. You can’t get rid of the larvae, but adult individuals avoid such beds.
Do not leave food for the wireworm during the winter. That is, remove absolutely the entire crop from the site. Many gardeners do not harvest small root crops, perhaps they will rot over the winter. This goes without saying, but before rotting they will have time to feed a considerable number of larvae. Therefore, dig up even the smallest carrots and potatoes.
The land should not be empty. Look in nature, is there a bare patch of soil somewhere? No. After harvesting, your plot must be sowed with green manure. The best ways to get rid of wireworms are clover, rye, and white mustard. In the spring, all this stuff needs to be dug up right with the stems and leaves. This way you will also get a good dose of natural organic fertilizer. At the same time, the nitrogen content in the soil will increase. After such an addition, the wireworm will avoid your beds; the larvae do not like nitrogen.
If you have subsidiary plot If you have chickens, do not burn the worms collected in the traps. Give them to your birds, let them feast on them.

Otherworldly forces

There is a recommendation to sprinkle the area with holy water or read conspiracies. Interesting advice. We do not in any way diminish the importance of such procedures for those people who believe in their effectiveness. We simply urge you to remember the well-known folk wisdom: “Trust in God, but do not make a mistake yourself.” One sprinkling of holy water or thrown words will not be enough if after this you sit down with folded arms. You can wait a very long time to get rid of the misfortune if you do nothing yourself.

How to get rid of wireworms in the garden? The most important thing is to comply with the full range of activities for five years. Because after destroying the first wave of larvae, you will be happy and fold your arms. But they will be replaced by older individuals. Don't give up, and soon you will be able to cleanse your garden of this unpleasant scourge.