What to use to plant potatoes against wireworms. Wireworms that parasitize potato beds can severely damage tubers

Recently I received a letter asking for help getting rid of wireworms. Answering it, I collected all the information that I knew or found in my archive, and the result was quite an interesting thing. At least, I have never seen such general material on the fight against wireworms anywhere, so I decided to share it with the readers. I hope this article helps someone.

The wireworm is not only a small larva in the form of a worm up to 20 mm long, tough as a wire, coming in different colors (usually yellow or light brown), but also pupae and click beetles - after all, the wireworm has a five-year development cycle. In the first year, these are small light yellow larvae, in the second or third year the larvae grow in size, in the fourth year, in June-August they turn into pupae, which after 2-3 weeks turn into click beetles, and in the fifth year In May the beetles lay eggs. Just don’t think that if there are larvae, then there are no beetles and pupae. Quite the contrary, if there is already a wireworm, then they are all in full set: small and large larvae, pupae and click beetles.

The wireworm loves damp and acidic soils, thickened plantings, weeds (especially wheatgrass), and does not like legumes (peas, soybeans, beans, beans, etc.).

To combat wireworms, it is first necessary to carry out agrotechnical measures.

It is necessary to carry out deep autumn (20-25 cm) and shallower spring digging, which will kill many larvae and beetles. When digging the soil, you should select larvae, pupae and beetles; lime acidic soils by adding lime, chalk, ground egg shells, etc.; fertilize with ammonia forms of mineral fertilizers: ammonia water, ammonium sulfate; Constantly destroy weeds, especially wheatgrass.

Do not leave heaps of tops and plant debris on the site or thicken the crops.

But it is very difficult, and perhaps even impossible, to remove wireworms using agricultural technology alone. Therefore, I want to offer some advice.

In the spring, when planting potatoes, tomatoes, etc., the holes, and when planting root crops, the grooves should be watered with a pink solution of potassium permanganate from a watering can. One watering can (10 l) for 20-25 holes. Gives very good results.

Place pieces of raw potatoes, carrots or beets on sticks 20 cm long and bury them in the area to a depth of 10-12 cm. Leave the ends of the sticks protruding above the ground. Every 2-3 days the bait must be pulled out, the larvae collected and buried again. This method should be used 3-4 days before planting, and then throughout the summer.

Take glass jars (0.25 l, 0.5 l), put pieces of raw potatoes, carrots or beets on the bottom and bury them in an area in the shade up to the neck. 10 pieces are needed per hundred square meters. Collect beetles every 2-3 days, adding or replacing bait as necessary. Use all summer. This method is effective for killing click beetles.

In the fall, spread heaps of straw or manure around the area. When frost sets in, collect the piles and burn them.

Plant legumes in a heavily infested area. The wireworm cannot stand them and leaves this area.

Well, as a last resort, the drug bazudine is produced to destroy wireworms. How to use it can be read in the instructions.

Mikhail Ruslanovich LAPIGIN, Cheboksary

Click beetles

When we dig up the soil, we very often throw yellow-orange elastic “worms” onto the surface. The similarity of these creatures to pieces of copper wire led to their name - wireworms. These are the larvae of click beetles.

Click beetles are distributed almost everywhere. They have an oblong body 10-15 mm long, gray, brown, brown or black in color with a metallic tint. The click beetle, overturned on its “back,” when bending its body, unlike other beetles, jumps up and stands on its “legs,” and a sound resembling a click is heard. Hence the name.

Depending on the species, click beetles take 3-5 years to develop. The beetles themselves are relatively harmless, but their larvae are dangerous pests for beets, potatoes, carrots, radishes and radishes, vegetable seedlings and tobacco. In seeds, the larvae eat away both the embryo and its supply of food, leaving a thin shell; they gnaw out a deep round hole on the seedlings. The larvae penetrate into the root (tuber) and facilitate the penetration of pathogens that cause decay into the passages.

Beetles and larvae of different ages overwinter in the soil at a depth of up to 20 cm, in cold winters - up to a meter. Beetles begin to emerge from the soil in April - in the southern regions and from mid-May in the northern regions. The beetles' flight lasts until August; they are active in the evening and partly at night. In May - early June, fertilized females lay eggs in the soil, near the root collar of the plant, in small groups of 3-10 pieces. The eggs are white, 0.46-0.57 mm long and 0.29-0.50 mm wide, they have a thin but hard shell. The hatched larvae first feed on humus, and later on underground parts of plants. In search of food and under favorable conditions (soil temperature +20°C, humidity 50-60%), the larvae constantly migrate vertically and horizontally, covering a distance of up to a meter in loose soil per day. The larvae pupate in July-August.

How to protect plants from wireworms and preserve the harvest on your site? What needs to be done and when? First of all, it is necessary to dig up the soil in early autumn (before mid-September). Larvae, pupae and beetles fall into the upper layers and die over the winter. The favorite food of wireworms is wheatgrass. Systematic removal of wheatgrass and other weeds on the site itself and in its vicinity, as well as repeated loosening of the soil between rows over the summer to a depth of 10-12 cm, contribute to the death of the larvae.

An effective method of catching larvae using food bait. For this purpose, use chopped small potatoes, beets or any cake. Baits are used in the spring before planting potatoes and other vegetable crops, or at any other time when the soil is moist. When the plants are arranged in a row, the bait is placed in the row spacing to a depth of 5-15 cm. The distance between the pieces is 10 cm. It is advisable to string the bait pieces onto a fishing line, 20-25 pieces each, to the ends of which it is better to attach twigs or sticks. After 3-4 days, fishing lines with baits and larvae biting into them are selected and, after scalding with boiling water, are used as feed for livestock or poultry.

Germinating seeds of barley, oats, wheat or corn attract wireworms even better. These crops should be sown in rows in the spring before sowing or planting cultivated crops (it is possible later - in the inter-row spaces).

Wireworms are selected by pulling out bait plants, which are replanted until the garden is free of the pest. In irrigated areas, all baits can be used at any warm time of the year.

The number of larvae can be reduced by liming acidic soils. Application of ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate (20-30 g per 1 sq. m) to wireworm-infested areas, followed by feeding the plants with the same fertilizers in half the dose, creates unfavorable conditions for the reproduction of click beetles and causes the death of wireworms.

You can destroy young wireworms with a solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 liters of water, 0.5 liters of solution per hole).

At a summer cottage where potatoes are planted, summer residents often face problems with growing the crop. One of them is the appearance of wireworms. The pest causes significant damage to plantings. Therefore, the fight against wireworms in a field planted with potatoes is carried out everywhere. In this article we will tell you how to get rid of wireworms in a potato plot (spring/autumn), and consider effective methods.

The reason for the appearance of the pest on the potato plot

Wireworm is the name given to the larva of click beetles. The larva has a hard shell, which served as the source of the name of the pest. In April, the air temperature warms up, and female beetles crawl to the surface of the earth to lay eggs. The most attractive places for beetles on the site will be:

• areas where perennial grasses and cereals grow;
• places with high humidity and shading;
• growing areas of creeping wheatgrass.

These factors increase the spread of wireworms in potato plots, so before planting the crop:

1. Inspect the nearby area. Try to place the potato plot taking these nuances into account.
2. Do not place potato beds next to cereal crops. Maintain crop rotation.
3. Carefully get rid of weeds in the area, especially creeping wheatgrass. This weed is a favorite delicacy of the wireworm.
4. If you find a pest in other parts of the site, take immediate action. The wireworm will not stop at one crop, but will damage the entire area.

Biological characteristics of the pest in the potato plot

It is important to know the wireworm's lifestyle in order to successfully fight against it. The lifespan of the pest is from 2 to 5 years. During this period, it feeds on the roots of weeds and vegetable crops. The maximum harm occurs in the 4th and 5th years of life. As soon as the soil warms up, the larvae rush to the surface of the soil. They move well vertically (up to 1-2 meters), but weakly in the horizontal direction (up to 20 cm). This nuance will help you understand why potatoes treated with Prestige are affected by the pest. Only once inside the potato will the larva die from the drug. If the wireworm remains in the soil, then “Prestige” will not affect it.

What else is useful to know?

1. The wireworm does not like dry soil - it goes deep, but as soon as the moisture is restored, it immediately returns. Therefore, after watering a potato plot, a surge in pest activity is observed.
2. An area fertilized with nitrogen components does not attract wireworms.
3. Reducing the acidity of the soil will help drive the wireworm out of the area.

Study the periods of life of the wireworm in order to use control means more effectively.

The danger of wireworms for potato beds on the site

The main damage that threatens potatoes from the pest:

1. The tubers are permeated with passages of complex shape. Pathogenic microorganisms settle in the pulp through these holes, leading to putrefactive processes.
2. Roots eaten by wireworms do not supply food to healthy tubers, which sharply reduces yield.
3. The pest acts throughout the growing season, affecting potatoes at each stage of development.
4. It is not possible to completely remove wireworms from the beds, so the potatoes are constantly at risk of damage. Read also the article: → "".

Ways to combat wireworms in a potato plot

There are two methods - agrotechnical and chemical.

Tip #1. To effectively kill the pest, alternate control methods.

Means and cost of drugs to combat wireworms in potato plots

Farmers treat the soil with preparations that can act on the formidable potato pest.

Name	Peculiarities	Price
"Bazudin"	3rd class of danger. Several mechanisms of action on the pest - contact, intestinal, translaminar. Convenient to use on site - applied in granules. Can be stored for a long time without loss of effectiveness. Protective effect – 1.5 months. Observe precautions and use strictly according to instructions.	A package weighing 30 g costs 35 rubles. When planting, the consumption of one package per 20 square meters. meters of area.
"Vallar"	The action is systemic, contact-intestinal. Toxic to pests of garden crops. Available in the form of powder, emulsion, granules. Protective effect 2 weeks. The effect appears after 4-5 hours.	50 rubles for 50 g of the drug
"Prestige"	Used for treating tubers and re-processing plants.	440 rubles for 60 ml of the drug
"Provotox"	Contact-intestinal action. The protection period is 1.5 months. Does not contribute to addiction to the drug.	100 rubles for 120 grams per package

Application of insecticides against wireworms on a potato plot

Proper use of insecticides guarantees maximum effect. How to correctly use the above drugs against wireworms?

Name of the product	Method of application
"Bazudin"	Mix Bazudin powder with sand in a ratio of 1:4 and mix thoroughly. Then, when planting, add one teaspoon of the mixture to the hole.
"Vallar"	To prepare the composition, take 200 ml of water, add 3 teaspoons of Vallar powder. Stirring constantly, add regular soil from the site and water to a volume of one liter. When finished, a mushy mass is obtained, which is laid out on the site and embedded in the ground. Powder consumption 50 grams per 10 square meters. meters.
"Prestige"	Dilute according to the instructions on the bottle and carry out pre-planting treatment of potatoes.
"Provotox"	Fights exclusively against wireworms. The product is diluted strictly following the instructions on the package. Used for pre-planting treatment of tubers. The low-toxic drug does not cause addiction in pest larvae.

Tip #2. Use the effective preparation “Prestige” for late and mid-late potato varieties, so that there is enough time to remove toxic substances from the tubers.

Apply insecticides according to instructions with mandatory use of protective measures.

Biological preparations against wireworms on site

The package with microorganisms is diluted in water at street temperature. Give the solution time to settle so that the nematodes settle to the bottom of the bucket. Then water the area with plain water and distribute 0.5 liters of the prepared solution per 5 square meters. meters of area. Sprinkle water on top again. Ten liters of the finished solution is enough for 5 acres of land.

Specialized ready-made soil protection “Vermion”, infested with nematodes. No personal protective equipment is required. The soil is introduced into longitudinal grooves along the ridges. A distance of 30 cm is maintained between the furrows, and the embedding depth is from 5 cm to 8 cm. The cost of 5 liters of ready-made soil is 25 rubles. For a small area the costs will be worth it. This method is not suitable for industrial plantings.

Recipes of folk wisdom against wireworms in a potato plot

Caution in the use of chemicals is fully justified. Potato growers use folk recipes to combat plant pests. Baits are installed before tubers are planted. Take some potatoes and cut them into 2 parts. Prick the halves onto sticks, moisten them with water, and bury them in the soil. Depth – up to 12 cm.

If the area is heavily infected, then dig up the halves after 3-4 days, if less, then after 5 days. Any larvae found are destroyed. The recipe is successful in small areas. Heaps of half-rotted grass, straw, and hay placed in recesses can replace halves of tubers. Pour water and cover with boards. After a couple of days, destroy the wireworms that get caught.

A method more radical than the first. Prepare a herbal decoction from:

• nettle (take 500 g);
• celandine (take 100 g);
• dandelion and coltsfoot (take 200g each).

Pour the herbs into a bucket of water and boil. Leave for three days, filter. Water the plants once every two weeks. The number of procedures that will be needed is from 3 to 5. The simplest method, loved by gardeners, is to plant legumes in the same hole with potatoes. Young peas are tasty and serve as a repeller for wireworms.

Agrotechnical methods of controlling wireworms in potato plots

The most accessible and budget methods. The regularity of activities over 2-3 years leads to a reduction in the number of pests by 70%-90%. What is necessary? Digging the site in late autumn. It can be replaced by moldboard plowing to the full depth of the arable horizon. Held in mid or late October. The first frosts destroy the pest raised to the surface.

Be sure to dig up the area in the fall so that the wireworms are on the surface.

A proven method is high-quality control of weeds such as creeping wheatgrass and chicken millet. Removal is done manually, selecting the smallest roots. Loosening of the soil is superficial. Time: May or June. At this moment, female click beetles lay eggs, which die under the bright rays of the sun.

A recipe for rare and valuable varieties - soak the tubers in an infusion of celandine herb. Mandatory adherence to crop rotation. A beautiful and decorative method is to sow marigolds and white mustard next to potato plantings. The wireworm cannot tolerate these plants. You can get by with rows of carrots or legumes between potato beds.

Plant marigolds or white mustard on the plot to protect potato beds from wireworms. Agrotechnical methods are also considered preventive, as they do not allow the pest to spread with impunity.

Mistakes of potato growers when fighting wireworms

• Agrotechnical measures are not carried out regularly, which reduces the effectiveness of the measures.
• They constantly use chemicals, which deplete the soil and destroy beneficial microflora.
• They do not pay enough attention to the control of weeds, especially creeping wheatgrass.
• They use traditional methods of control once, which does not lead to the destruction of the pest. Read also the article: → "".

Questions for potato growers when fighting wireworms in their plots

Question No. 1. What components should be added to the soil to prevent the spread of wireworms in potato beds?

The wireworm prefers acidic soil. Liming the soil is a common method of pest control. The following components are added:

• wood ash;
• lime;
• dolomite flour. The last component is added once every four years before planting the tubers.

Question No. 2. How to deal with wireworms in a large potato field?

The main rule is to observe crop rotation. Return potatoes to the beds no earlier than one and a half years. Purchasing high-quality seed material, preferably with pre-planting treatment - dressing the tubers. This process is carried out in special machines in different ways - dry etching, with moistening, suspensions. For large volumes of plantings, this is done on a production scale using special equipment.

Machines used:

• Screw treater PSSh-3. Productivity: 3 tons of seeds per hour of operation. Requires two workers for maintenance. Etching can be carried out in three ways - dry, wet, with moistening.
• Universal etching agent PU-3. Performs all three etching methods. 3 people are needed for maintenance.
• Chamber etcher PS-10. Self-moving modern unit with a productivity of 15 tons per hour.
• Post-planting processing of potatoes using special equipment.

On large fields, use special equipment, which will save time and costs.

Question No. 3. Is it possible to use potatoes damaged by wireworms as seed material?

According to standards, up to 3 wireworms in a tuber is not an obstacle to its use for planting. The main thing is that there should be no more than 2% of the volume of planting material damaged potatoes.

Wireworms, feeding on potato tubers, significantly reduce the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the crop. At the same time, they live in the ground, so it is sometimes difficult to notice the threat, and the damage caused is only noticeable when dug up. To avoid this, you need to know how to get rid of wireworms in a potato plot. Today, there are many methods for this, with very different operating principles.

Wireworm - who is he?

Although wireworms look like a golden or brown colored worm, they are actually the larva of click beetles belonging to the Elateridae family. There are 400 genera around the world. In the territory of the former Soviet Union, damage to agricultural crops is caused mainly by larvae of beetles from the genera Agriotes and Selatosomus. Melanotus click beetles are also found in the south of the European part. Representatives of the genera Athous and Limonius cause harm less frequently. The length of larval worms is usually from 1 to 4.5 cm.

The duration of development of the click beetle lasts about 5 years, and for up to 4 years the beetle remains in the larval stage. After the first year of life, he needs a large amount of nutrition. The garden pest’s “favorite delicacy” is the root systems of some plants and starch-rich potato tubers.

The harm it does to potatoes

Potatoes damaged by wireworms are severely stunted in growth. The larvae not only suck nutrients and juices from the tubers, but also cause serious mechanical damage to them. They, in turn, are a kind of “entry gate” for pathogenic microorganisms. For example, for fungi and bacteria. Therefore, the tubers are affected by the putrefactive process. All this reduces the consumer characteristics of the future harvest.

Agronomists say that wireworms cause no less damage to potato plantings than the main enemy of the crop, the Colorado potato beetle. But if the latter is easy to identify and destroy, because it and its larvae infect the above-ground parts of plants, then golden worms eat potatoes in the ground, and it is more difficult to fight them. How to prevent wireworms from appearing in potatoes and how to get rid of them on your site?

Agrotechnical measures against wireworm

Agrotechnical methods of controlling wireworms are actions that reduce the number of larvae on the site without the use of special means and chemicals. Such measures include:

1. Deep seasonal digging in the spring before planting and in the fall after harvesting potatoes. In this case, the depth of soil cultivation should be about 25–30 cm. During the digging process, you need to carefully select larvae, pupae and adult click beetles from the ground. Removing weed rhizomes will also be useful. Wireworms especially like to try common wheatgrass and fireweed. Therefore, if these plants are on the site, due attention should be paid to digging.
   

   Tilling the soil in the spring months contributes to the death of recently laid eggs of the click beetle under the influence of bright rays of the sun, and in the fall - as a result of frost.

2. Competent crop rotation. This method is especially relevant when cultivating potatoes in large areas, when it will not be possible to dig them well. If you constantly plant potatoes in the same place, then wireworms will choose an area with a sufficient amount of food, and their number will increase every year. Therefore, cultures need to be changed periodically. For example, after 2 years of cultivating potatoes, sow the area with legumes: beans, peas. Wireworms cannot tolerate the substances contained in these plants and will leave the area. You can also use buckwheat, lupine, spring rape.
3. "Abstraction". The fight against wireworms in a potato plot also includes planting lettuce between the rows. The wireworm really likes its succulent roots. Most likely, he will switch from tubers to them, and the crop will suffer less.
4. Watering. One of the reasons that causes larvae to actively damage potato tubers is the search for moisture. Therefore, in dry weather they cause more damage to plantings. A way to counteract this is to moisten the soil abundantly when there is no rain. This will also benefit agricultural crops.
5. Regular weeding and no thickening of weeds near the potatoes. The larvae concentrate in places where roots are intertwined. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant potatoes next to uncultivated areas or lawns. If there is undeveloped soil nearby, then it is necessary to create a trench, the width of which should be 80–100 cm. The plantings themselves should be weeded if possible.

The fight against wireworms in a potato plot is easily combined with soil care.

Reducing soil acidity

Another agricultural method of reducing the number of larvae is liming acidic soils and reducing their acidity. This will repel the pest and reduce the damage it causes. However, it is not recommended to use wireworm lime in areas intended for growing potatoes. This substance reduces the plant’s immunity to scab, a common crop disease. Therefore, it is better to take chalk, eggshells or dolomite flour.

Another simple remedy available to every gardener that effectively reduces soil acidity is ordinary wood ash. It is added to the ground when plowing, digging, or planting tubers in a hole. Good results are shown by adding ash remaining after burning potato tops and the green part of sunflowers after drying.

Green manure

The use of green manures, or green fertilizers, is a fairly universal way to improve the health of land used for growing crops. They saturate the soil with useful substances in an easily digestible form for future planting. Green manure will help against wireworms and even weeds.

If leguminous plants are removed from the site after harvesting, green manure is usually buried in the ground. Lupine, vetch, and alfalfa are effective against click beetle larvae. Mustard is most effective as a green manure against wireworms. It contains alkaloids that are harmful to larvae.

Often, owners of potato plantings plant tubers on one half of the territory and green fertilizers on the other, and vice versa the next season. But this method has a significant drawback: 50% of the soil is idle every year. The way out of the situation would be to plant green manure after harvesting early ripening varieties. Before the autumn cold, green fertilizers usually have time to grow sufficiently.

Chemical methods of control

The chemical industry offers a large list of preparations for wireworms. An attentive gardener concerned about the quality of the crop should use them carefully and in full accordance with the instructions to avoid the accumulation of toxic substances in the tubers. When used correctly, these products are safe, and potatoes will not cause harm to health when eaten.

Before plowing or digging the area, insecticides are applied in the form of granules. You can combine wireworm control and soil fertilization. To do this you need:

1. Prepare a solution of one of the pesticides (“Actellik” – 15 ml, “Decis Extra” – 4 ml, “Karate” – 1 ml) in 80 ml of water and 0.2 l of acetone, mix all ingredients well.
2. Take 5 kg of superphosphate and spread it in a thin layer (you can lay a thin film on the ground).
3. Spray the granules evenly with the prepared solution.
4. After this, superphosphate, moistened with a solution of pesticides, should be dried in the shade.

Also, at the time of planting, you can spill the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 liters of water), 0.5 liters in each hole. This product not only repels wireworms, but also has an antibacterial effect on the soil, which will further protect the plantings from possible diseases.

Another means that helps fight against click beetle larvae and at the same time fertilize the soil are preparations containing nitrogen:

• ammonium sulfate (30 g per 1 m2);
• ammonium chloride (30 g per 1 m2);
• ammonium nitrate (20 g per 1 m2).

Other remedies for wireworms:

1. "Aktara". A solution of this product is sprayed onto potato tubers before planting. When embedding them in the holes, you can add dry powder. Experienced gardeners speak well of the use of Aktara, which is effective against many pests.
2. "Prestige" is similar in its action and technology of use to Aktara.
3. "Bazudin" has a stronger effect, but is toxic to humans and animals. Therefore, it is advisable to use it only in case of extensive damage to potato plantings by wireworms and the ineffectiveness of “Aktara” and other methods of pest control. The active ingredient is diazonin. Consumption of the drug per 10 m 2 – 15 g.
4. Such products as “Grom”, “Gromoboy-2”, “Medvetox-U”, “Pochin” also contain diazonin and are dangerous for humans, but produce a powerful and prolonged effect.

Any chemicals against garden pests must be used taking precautions and following the instructions exactly. It must be included with each drug.

Biological drugs

The biological method of controlling agricultural pests is the deliberate introduction of other organisms into plantings that destroy them, but do not harm the crops. Nemabact is effective against wireworms. This is a powder that contains nematode worms of microscopic size. It enters into symbiosis with bacteria living in the soil. In the absence of wireworms, they are inactive, but when a pest appears, the bacteria invade its body and eat it from the inside. After the enemy is eliminated, the nematodes move to a new victim.

Folk remedies

Some gardeners are afraid to use chemicals on their plots, fearing a toxic effect on plantings and crops. In this case, folk remedies for wireworms will come to the rescue:

1. Nettle infusion: 500 g of green raw material is crushed and kept in 10 liters of water for 12 hours.
2. Dandelion infusion: the preparation procedure is similar, only 200 g of plants are required.
3. Infusion of celandine: 100 g per 10 l.
4. Onion peels: add a handful of them to each hole when planting potatoes.
5. Egg shells are evenly distributed over the surface of the soil.
6. Planting marigolds or calendula next to potatoes will repel larvae and other plant pests.
7. Wireworm salt, like eggshells, is scattered over the soil. It is advisable to do this before the rain so that the solution penetrates into the ground to the potato tubers.

Watering the plantings with plant infusions should be done three times. There should be 7-10 days between treatments.

"Baits"

Barley, wheat, corn and rye against wireworms can be used as a crop to attract the pest. To do this, cereal seeds are sown in the area where the potatoes will be planted in early spring, 2 weeks before planting the tubers. During this time, the grains will have time to germinate and become a tasty prey for hungry larvae and click beetles. It is enough to make rows, the distance between which will be about 60 cm. After 14 days, the soil is dug up, while simultaneously destroying the worms located around the roots of the sprouts.

To enhance the effect, grain seeds are pre-treated with chemicals “Decis” or “Karate”. This will destroy all the larvae that will feed on the cereal sprouts. The removal period for the products from the soil is a month, so the chemicals do not threaten the future harvest.

Another type of bait is pieces of potatoes, beets or carrots dug into the ground to a depth of 5 to 15 cm. The places where they are embedded in the soil are marked with twigs stuck into the ground. After a few days, all that remains is to get the bait and destroy the wireworm in boiling water or by burning it. To make work easier, you can put pieces of root vegetables on a rod or even on a fishing line. After 3-4 days, you should simply pull out the “catch” and kill the worms.

Wireworm larvae are eagerly eaten by chickens and other poultry. This is relevant for those who keep them on their farm.

Another improvement to this method involves the use of glass jars. They are dug into the ground up to the neck, and the same pieces of root vegetables are placed in them. You need to choose a shady place on the site, because wireworms are afraid of direct sunlight. Every 2-3 days, the bait should be checked and any pests destroyed. We must remember to replace the root vegetables with new ones or cut off the weathered side. Old baits do not seem attractive to wireworms.

Preventive measures

To forget about the problem of potato tubers being damaged by click beetle larvae, it is important not only to use anti-wireworm remedies, but also to take preventive measures every season. This will protect against the appearance of pests on the site.

Prevention includes:

• deep digging in spring and autumn;
• loosening the soil in May and June, as a result of which beetle eggs will appear on the surface and will be burned by the sun;
• timely destruction of weeds;
• Regular cleaning of the area from plant and household waste.

It is easier to achieve the desired result if you combine different methods. An integrated approach to solving the problem of the presence of click beetle larvae on the site will allow you to obtain a plentiful and tasty potato harvest without damage at the end of the season.

If potato wireworm is found in large quantities on a site, then the bulk of the crop can be saved only by urgently taking measures to combat this pest. In terms of the amount of damage caused to potato plantings, it is not much inferior to the well-known Colorado potato beetle. But, unlike the latter, it is much more difficult to fight wireworms.

The worst potato pest is the wireworm.

It is difficult not to notice the Colorado potato beetle appearing on potatoes, and the tops eaten by its larvae are visible from afar. Timely treatment with pesticides allows you to get rid of this pest without noticeable crop losses.

The wireworm constantly lives underground, and it is possible to detect it and the results of its “black” activities only by making control digs of wilted potato bushes, or during harvesting. It is quite difficult to combat this pest, since it lives almost everywhere, but it is quite possible to reduce the population to a size where the wireworm will cause minimal damage.

The wireworm is the larva of the click beetle. In our country there are several hundred species of these insects. They are distributed almost throughout the entire territory. The development cycle of insects lasts from 2 to 5 years. In early spring, from April to June (depending on the region), female beetles lay eggs in secluded places on the soil - under lumps of earth, in cracks, under plant debris, piles of dry tops. Each clutch contains from 3 to 5 eggs, and just one female lays up to 150 eggs. After about a month, the larvae hatch and develop for 2 to 5 years. In the first year, the wireworm feeds on semi-rotten remains, small roots and other underground parts of plants. These pests do not damage potatoes and other garden crops during this period of life. After a year, click beetle larvae become much larger and more mobile. The shell of their body becomes very strong - it is easier to tear an insect than to crush it. From the second year of life, the wireworm moves on to potatoes, damaging its roots and tubers. Fungal spores and bacteria enter the tunnels made by the larvae, causing root crops to rot and making them unsuitable for winter storage. The damage caused by wireworms is very significant, so it is necessary to take systematic measures to combat this pest.

Click beetle larvae are widespread everywhere, and not only on potato plantations. These pests are capable of feeding on the roots of various plants, including wild ones. The increase in the number and choice of places for oviposition in plantings of cultivated plants is explained primarily by the large amount of available food for the wireworm. In potato plantings, it is almost impossible to completely get rid of click beetle larvae, but by using special control measures, it is quite possible to reduce the number of pests several times so that the damage they cause becomes insignificant.

It is very undesirable to fight wireworms with the help of pesticides applied to the soil, since, firstly, toxic substances will inevitably get into the potato tubers, and secondly, they will destroy not only these larvae, but also living organisms useful for soil formation ( earthworms, various microorganisms, etc.). Therefore, in most cases, various agrotechnical control methods are used.

• Digging the soil to a greater depth before the onset of stable frosts (approximately in the second half of October) reduces the number of pests. Larvae from the lower layers of the soil, getting into the upper layers, die from the cold.
• Early spring plowing also helps fight wireworms. Birds are happy to collect insects that are inactive after winter, since there is still little food. In addition, direct sunlight kills the larvae.
• Loosening the soil during the beetle's summer period (May, June) is very effective. Eggs laid by females, once exposed to direct sunlight, become unviable, and new pests will no longer appear from them.
• An effective control measure is the removal of weeds, primarily wheatgrass, including along the edges of fields. Bushes of this grass are a favorite place for click beetles to lay eggs, because the small larvae happily feed on wheatgrass roots. Therefore, weeds should be removed along with their roots, even the smallest ones, thereby depriving insects of food.
• Properly organized crop rotation also helps get rid of annoying “worms”. It is advisable to plant potatoes after beans or peas, which these pests “do not like.”
• If you plan to plant potatoes in areas heavily infested with wireworms, then it is advisable to carry out bait sowing. For this purpose, 4-5 grains of corn, barley, wheat or oats are sown in the holes in a square-cluster manner every 0.5 meters. The emerging shoots should be dug up along with the roots in which the pests have gathered and destroyed.
• You can get rid of a large number of wireworms using baits made from pieces of potatoes, carrots or beets, which are buried at a shallow depth (5-15 cm) before planting the potatoes. After 2-4 days, the bait is dug up and destroyed along with the larvae that have climbed into it (you can cook it and feed it to animals). To facilitate pest control using this method, pieces of bait are strung on long cords and buried in the grooves. It will be much easier to get such “garlands”.
• As a distraction measure, you can sow lettuce in the spaces between the potato rows, the delicate roots of which the wireworm happily feeds on, while causing less damage to the potatoes.
• When digging the soil in spring, it is advisable to apply nitrogen fertilizers containing ammonia (ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride), which are poisonous to this pest.
• When using pesticides, in order to reduce the damage they cause to soil microflora, it is advisable to use granular forms that you can make yourself. Granulated superphosphate scattered on the film in a thin layer is sprayed with insecticides (Decis, Karate, Actellik), diluted in a 5:2 solution of acetone and water (200 ml of acetone is taken per 5 kg of superphosphate). The granules are dried in the shade, scattered over the area and immediately dug up. You can use treated superphosphate spot-wise when planting potatoes - 5 granules per hole.
• As folk methods against wireworms, you can use watering potatoes with infusions of celandine, coltsfoot, dandelion or nettle.

By systematically applying wireworm control measures in a complex, it is possible to reduce the number of this dangerous pest to a size where the damage it causes is insignificant.

A wireworm is the name given to the larva of a click beetle that feeds on root crops (carrots, potatoes, beets, etc.), and also damages young shoots of grapes, sunflowers and other crops. There are several methods to combat this pest. In addition, technologies have been developed to prevent the beetle from entering the garden at all. We’ll talk about how to deal with wireworms later in the article.

Description of the pest

The wireworm is a larva with a length of 10 to 45 mm. Depending on the variety, its color can vary from yellow to dark brown. It was called the wireworm because of its rather hard, shiny skin. Sexual dimorphism in larvae is usually not pronounced. The wireworm (a photo of it can be seen in this article) has an elongated body shape, which consists of 13 segments. He has 3 pairs of legs. They are very well developed.

By mid-summer, the activity of the larvae decreases significantly. The fact is that this pest does not like dry, hot soil. During this period, the larvae go deep into the ground (30 centimeters).

Preventive measures

First of all, a number of preventive measures should be taken. In this case, the question of how to deal with wireworms may not arise at all. First, you need to alternate crops. Wireworm larvae get used to monotonous food. When it changes, they simply die of hunger. In addition, the wireworm does not eat legumes at all. Therefore, potatoes, carrots or beets should be planted after beans or peas.

Wireworms love moist, acidic soil. Therefore, the area should be limed with dolomite flour. They do this once every three years. All tops from the potato plot and from the beds should be removed and burned annually.

Do not plant plants too close to each other. You should also be sure to weed the area. In particular, the click beetle loves wheatgrass and fireweed. These plants should not be present in potatoes and in beds with carrots and beets at all. You should also get rid of other weeds.

Loosening the soil

So, preventive measures were taken, but larvae still appeared on the site. What to do in this case? How to deal with wireworm? A fairly effective way to destroy this pest is to dig and loosen the soil. After performing this procedure, a huge number of larvae die. You need to loosen the rows of potatoes, carrots and beets 3 times a season. This will get rid of most of the pests. In a potato field, loosening should be done to a depth of at least 15 cm.

Etching holes with chemicals

When planting potatoes or other root crops, you should also take some measures to get rid of a pest such as wireworm. How to deal with it even before the plants emerge? When planting potatoes, you need to pour a little ash into each hole. This will reduce the acidity of the soil and, accordingly, repel the pest. Onion peels are also sometimes placed in the holes. You can also pour in a solution of potassium permanganate (5 g/10 l) or a specialized preparation designed to combat wireworms specifically.

Unfortunately, most of the means that were widely used to destroy this pest in the Soviet years are currently prohibited. The fight against wireworms can be done using only two drugs: Baduzin and Provotox. The first is much more poisonous and should be used carefully. For 1 kg of the drug “Baduzin” there are about one hundred grams of pure poison. The Provotox product contains only forty grams of it.

Use of saltpeter

In combination with these two drugs, ammonium nitrate (25 g/1 m2) can be added to the soil. Sometimes ammonium sulfate is used instead in the same amount. Potatoes should be spilled with saltpeter on the fifteenth and thirtieth days after planting. The product “Banduzin” will weaken the larvae, and saltpeter will kill them completely.

Dressing with herbal infusions

With frequent use of the same drug, its effectiveness is significantly reduced, since this pest, like cockroaches, very quickly adapts to poisons. However, wireworms on potatoes or other root vegetables can also be removed using infusions of various herbs. For this purpose, nettle (500 g/10 l of water) or dandelion (200 g/10 l) is used. For twenty holes of potatoes you need about ten liters of this infusion. Spray the area with it several times every week.

Planting barley or oats

The wireworm, the methods of combating which are quite varied, can be removed in one more way. This technology is quite effective, but it is labor intensive. In the spring, two weeks before planting root crops, plant the area with oats or barley. 10 seeds are buried in the soil at a distance of 70 cm from each other. After the shoots appear, they are dug up and burned.

Using baits

During the summer, you can also take measures to destroy pests such as wireworms. How to deal with it during the growth of root crops? Pest bait should be used several times a season. The eyes are removed from the potato tubers and cut into pieces. You can also use carrots or beets as bait. The pieces are placed on thin sticks and stuck into the ground in the garden bed at a distance of about 10 cm. After a few days, the sticks are pulled out and the pests are destroyed. Next, they put a new bait on them and dig in again. This is repeated several times.

For potatoes, you can use a slightly different method. Place pieces of root vegetables in wide-necked jars and bury them on the site. After a few days, they dig it up, destroy the pests and repeat the procedure. Instead of cans, you can use plastic cups of 200-500 g. The bait should be slightly moistened with water. Click beetles get into cups and cannot get out. This event can be held all summer, starting in spring and ending in late autumn. If you do it for a couple of years in a row, you can significantly reduce the number of pests on the site or even eliminate the beetle completely. Of course, unfortunately, for very large potato fields such a method, although not particularly labor-intensive, is unlikely to be suitable. In this case, it is worth trying other methods.

Use of potassium chloride and lime

How else can you destroy such a pest as wireworm? How to deal with it if neither liming the soil nor bait helped? In this case, it is worth trying to add potassium chloride to it during the autumn digging of the soil. You can also cover the entire area with lime. In the spring, when the snow melts, it will begin to penetrate the soil, destroying the larvae.

How to deal with wireworms in the fall

Another way to combat larvae is to spread tops or straw around the area in piles. They are left until the onset of autumn frosts. After this, they are collected and burned. This pest is very fond of rotting grass and gathers in such heaps in large quantities. A somewhat more effective method is not to spread the tops around the area, but to bury them in the soil. In the fall, holes are made in a potato field, straw is placed in it and covered with boards on top. After the onset of cold weather, the bait is also taken out and burned.

This method can be used not only in autumn, but also in spring. Rotted leaves and grass are placed in holes and covered with something on top. Click beetles climb into them in search of food. This method of pest control is considered very effective.

Seed treatment in spring

The fight against wireworms can also involve processing planting material. Carrot and beet seeds should be soaked in a solution of the Regent preparation before planting. Take one dose and dissolve it in three liters of water. Soaking is performed for two hours. After this, the disinfected seeds are planted in the beds.

What to do if nothing helps

What to do if all the measures described above did not help? How to deal with wireworms in such a way that you are guaranteed to get rid of it? To do this, you should plant the area where previously there were beds with beets and carrots, peas and beans. Grow them in this place for several years, and the wireworm, which simply has nothing to eat, will disappear.

By the way, bean tops, like onion peels, can be buried in the ground along with potato tubers. This plant can repel pests.

Well, we have discussed in some detail how to get rid of wireworms in a summer cottage. Although there are quite a few chemicals designed to combat this particular pest, it is easier to do this than, say, to remove the Colorado potato beetle. Get rid of weeds, loosen the soil, burn tops, add bait if necessary. In this case, the wireworm will become less and less numerous, and, most likely, in a few years it will completely disappear from the site.