What to plant against wireworms in the garden. How to remove wireworms and click beetles from the garden using safe means? Means Pochin, description

As a rule, the appearance of wireworms in a potato plot can be detected immediately. The negative impact on plantings is the undermining of tubers and shoots of the potato bush. Since the depth to which it can burrow can be several meters, getting to this pest is not easy. However, there are a number of ways to protect potatoes from wireworms and how to treat them.

Potatoes as a garden crop

This type of fruit and vegetable crop, like potatoes, is considered the most important vegetable, which is grown in almost every summer cottage as soon as spring comes. The South American continent is considered the birthplace of potatoes. The appearance of these edible root vegetables in Western Europe thanks to Columbus dates back to the 16th century.

However, despite the fact that potatoes were brought to our country under Peter I, its popularity as a garden crop became widespread only towards the end of the 19th century. Thus, in Russia, potatoes have long been considered the second bread, occupying almost the main place on our tables. This root vegetable is suitable for consumption in numerous preparations:

• boiled;
• fried;
• baked;
• as an independent dish;
• as a side dish;
• as a component in salads.

About the wireworm

Wireworms are 3-centimeter larvae of the click beetle that infect most of the tuber crop by creating complex tunnels in the root crop.

Wireworm in potatoes

• putrefactive bacteria;
• nematodes;
• fungal spores.

Since the area affected by wireworms also includes the root system, the quantitative indicator of yield, the harvest time of which is autumn, is significantly reduced.

The habitat where this potato pest lives is quite extensive, which is why its larvae can be found everywhere.

Helpful information. Potatoes are not the only crop susceptible to infestation by wireworm larvae.

Planting potato bushes is attractive to wireworms due to the large amount of minerals added to the soil by fertilizing. The time of the most active manifestation of the life activity of harmful larvae is considered to be the entire growing season - from the moment of germination of tuberous root crops until the drying of the potato bush. However, the likelihood that it is possible to completely remove breeding foci from a potato field is small. Therefore, the answer to the question: are they planting potatoes affected by wireworms will definitely be negative.

Methods to combat wireworms

Despite the fact that it is not possible to completely remove this pest from a garden plot, there are ways to combat wireworms in a potato field, as well as tips on how to significantly reduce the number of these pests and protect potato plantings from damage by their larvae, including:

1. Adding substances to the soil that contribute to the death of potato pests and also prevent the proliferation of this type of insect;
2. Arrangement of various traps with baits, both for larvae and adults;
3. Tubers are treated before planting using solutions enriched with active substances;
4. Carrying out mechanical digging;
5. Loosening the soil in a potato plot.

Loosening the soil in a potato plot

The danger posed by wireworms as a pest affecting the garden lies in the infection of damaged root crops with various diseases, which results in almost complete loss of the harvest, so the fight against this insect is a necessary agronomic measure.

Preventive measures against wireworm larvae:

1. Compliance with crop rotation;
2. Timely harvesting of root crops;
3. Decrease in soil acidity;
4. Attracting biological species of birds and insects hostile to the click beetle to the garden plot, including:

• starling;
• thrush;
• turtledove;
• rook;
• wagtail;
• tit;
• ground beetle.

1. Destruction of weeds.

Helpful information. An increase in soil acidity is indicated by the appearance of plantain and sorrel on the site.

Making wireworm traps

There is more than one way to make and place bait for catching wireworms:

1. Soak spoiled tubers in insecticide for 24 hours. Next, bury them in the ground where the pest accumulates and mark this area by sticking a small branch into the ground. After a couple of days, collect tubers with crawling wireworms and get rid of them;
2. Place pieces of carrots and chopped potatoes into a half-liter glass jar and bury it, leaving the neck level with the ground. A homemade trap of this type will collect both larvae and adult beetles. However, it is recommended to cover the neck with paper to make it difficult for the insect to escape;
3. Before spring planting, you can bury a wire with carrots, beets and potatoes strung on it to a 10-centimeter depth along the entire length of the ridge. All this must be cut into pieces. After 3 days, vegetables with caught larvae can be fed to chickens;
4. Since adult beetles hide in moist, shaded areas during the day, piles of grass or mullein can be used as bait for them. After a few days, insects collected during the daytime must be burned in a fire. A similar event must be carried out in the autumn season, provided that the grass and mullein will lie before the onset of cold weather;
5. The permanent habitat of wireworm larvae is the seedlings of plants such as:

• corn;
• oats;
• barley;
• wheat;
• mustard.

Larvae in wheat

Creating a bait involves planting a small amount of seeds of the above crops 2 weeks before planting potato tubers, so that later along with them you can remove the pests that have settled on the plants. Planting of new crops can be carried out throughout the summer season, however, the seed material must first be kept in an insecticidal solution, which can destroy a significant population of wireworms.

Important! Plants whose seeds have been treated with insecticides are poisonous and prohibited for consumption - they must be destroyed.

Chemical and folk methods of control

The list of traditional methods includes:

1. Spreading ground eggshells throughout the planting area;
2. Etch the holes before planting the tubers using a solution made from 500 grams of nettle infusion (you can take 200 grams of dandelion infusion instead), diluted in 10 liters of water. The amount of this essence is enough to etch 20 planting holes. Such treatment must be carried out every 3 days for a week;
3. When digging the soil, in order to reduce the acidity level, lime the soil with one of the following neutralizing substances:

• lime;
• chalk;
• ash;
• dolomite flour.

1. You can use this remedy for wireworms when planting potatoes , like ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate, added in an amount of 20 grams per 1 m2 to the soil, causes the larvae to burrow deeper into the ground;
2. Root fertilizer with potassium permanganate solution, at the rate of 4 grams per 10 liters of water, is applied: a measure of 200 grams - one hole.

Helpful information. In addition, tar can be of great help as a natural folk remedy against wireworms.

The list of drugs based on chemistry includes the following names:

• Decis;
• Karate;
• Aktellik;
• Fastak;
• Barguzin;
• Initiative;
• Zemlin.

Note. Many gardeners are wondering what remedy exists to treat potatoes against wireworms before planting in order to provide the necessary protection for potatoes from wireworms during planting. For this there is a very good and effective chemical preparation - “Prestige”.

Other potato pests and diseases

The main list of pests and diseases affecting potato planting material includes:

• Colorado beetle;
• stem nematode;
• mole cricket;
• late blight;
• common scab;
• black scab;
• brown rot;
• fusarium;
• Phomasis;
• ring rot.

The appearance of wireworms in a potato plot poses a danger in the form of almost complete loss of the crop. However, by regularly carrying out activities on how to get rid of wireworms in a potato plot, you can protect root crops from its effects. In addition, this article provided an answer to a frequently asked question: is it possible to plant potatoes affected by wireworms?

Wireworm- This is the larva of a click beetle, which can be easily distinguished from all other larvae by its hard, wire-like body with shiny covers. Potato wireworm causes damage to potato tubers comparable to the damage caused by the Colorado potato beetle. But the presence of a beetle can be easily detected and measures can be immediately taken to destroy it, while the wireworm conducts its destructive activities underground, it is much more difficult to detect and, accordingly, more difficult to combat.

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Wireworm pest - description

What does wireworm eat? Wireworms are polyphagous. They destroy seeds, shoots, roots and even plant stems. Wireworms bore through tubers and root crops, eating away the passages in them and making them practically unsuitable for storage and consumption.

The length of the wireworm reaches from 10 to 50 mm. These larvae have a thin and hard body, the color of which varies from dark brown to yellow. It is almost impossible to crush a wireworm. The development cycle of the click beetle lasts 5 years, the wireworm larva develops 3-4 years. In the first year, the larva feeds on the underground part of the plant, but does not cause significant damage to it. Wireworms become a dangerous pest in the second year of life, and in the fourth year the larva pupates, and in the spring an adult click beetle emerges from the pupa.

Fighting wireworms in the garden

How to deal with wireworm If other insects can be easily dealt with with the help of insecticidal or acaricidal preparations, then when fighting wireworms, you will have to tinker. How to destroy wireworm?

The wireworm lives in the soil and is not easy to get to. The fight against wireworms on the site should be carried out using all possible measures in a complex, that is, using agrotechnical, mechanical and chemical methods.

• Agrotechnical measures against wireworms include:
• deep spring digging of the soil with thorough destruction of larvae, pupae and click beetles, as well as weeds, in particular, wheatgrass and fireweed rhizomes;
• compliance with crop rotation. For example, planting potatoes versus beans and peas;
• sowing green manure that repel wireworms. Green manures against wireworms such as mustard, lupine, vetch or alfalfa are effective;
• sowing potato lettuce in rows, the roots of which are eaten by wireworms;

deep autumn digging or moldboard plowing of the soil before the first frost, which allows reducing the number of wireworms by 50-90%.

Remedies for wireworms (preparations)

When the number of wireworms cannot be controlled by any other means, one has to resort to the use of the highly toxic drug Bazudin or Diazinon, which is slightly less dangerous for warm-blooded animals. The drug Prestige for wireworms and Colorado potato beetles also reduces the number of pests by more than half, and it is not as harmful as Bazudin. Provotox from wireworms is not addictive to the pest, has low toxicity to humans, is harmless to earthworms and has a long shelf life. In addition to the listed chemicals, wireworm control agents such as Grom-2, Kapkan, Zemlin, Aktara, Force, Metarizin and Dohlox are used. But no matter what insecticide you choose, it can only be used in strict accordance with the instructions.

Fighting wireworms with folk remedies

Since the use of chemicals in pest control can be harmful to human health, it is advisable to use them as rarely as possible. It is better to use time-tested folk remedies for wireworms. The fight against wireworms in the area is carried out using the following methods:

• the best herbal remedy for wireworms is an infusion of celandine, which is used to water the soil on the site;
• the row spacing is sprinkled with wood ash, and this kills the click beetle larvae;
• good results are achieved by adding nitrogen fertilizers containing ammonium to the soil or watering the area with ammonia water. Ammonium salts serve not only as a means of getting rid of wireworms, but also as a nitrogen supplement for root crops;
• Wireworm lime introduced into the soil, used to deoxidize the soil, significantly reduces the number of larvae in it. In addition to slaked lime, you can add coal ash, chalk and dolomite flour to the soil once every 3-4 years;

• one of the most inexpensive but effective means is ground eggshells, which are scattered throughout the area;
• for wireworms, bait is placed in the form of pieces of beets, carrots or cake in holes 7-15 cm deep, which are covered on top with a piece of plywood or iron. You can use unrotted straw, grass or hay as bait. The wireworms accumulated in the pits are burned after 3-4 days. Baits begin to be laid a week or two before planting root crops and continue to be laid throughout the summer. How to deal with wireworms in the fall? The larvae are lured onto pieces of manure or tufts of straw laid out around the area, and with the first frost, the baits are collected together with the larvae and destroyed;
• If you grow potatoes or root crops in alkaline or neutral soil, treating the holes against wireworms before planting with a solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 liters of water) at the rate of half a liter of solution per hole will help protect your plants. In acidic soil, the solution can burn the roots of the seedlings, so instead of treating the holes with a solution of potassium permanganate, add a handful of onion peels or pine needles to each.

Wireworm - preventive treatment

To get rid of wireworms forever, you need not only to destroy them, but also to carry out preventive measures every year that will no longer allow them to appear on your site. Such events include:

• change the place for growing crops at least once every 2-3 years;
• Carrying out annual spring and especially autumn digging of the site to the depth of a spade bayonet. The larvae raised from the depths of the soil during autumn digging will die from the cold in winter, and spring tillage will clear the soil of the roots of weeds on which wireworms feed;
• loosening the soil in the area in May-June, so that the eggs of the click beetle fall to the surface, where they die from the sun's rays;
• regular weeding of the area, carried out to cleanse the soil of wheatgrass and other weeds. If the weed situation is critical, use Roundup to kill it;
• keep the area clean, remove grass and tops in the fall, in which the wireworm likes to spend the winter comfortably;
• to repel click beetles, you can grow marigolds, the aroma of which attracts pests, despite the fact that the juice of these plants is poison for them. Wireworms in the garden are afraid of legumes (black beans, soybeans, peas and beans), because bacteria that produce nitrogen live in their roots. To enhance the effect, you can sow phacelia together with legumes, which neutralizes acidic soil;

• The wireworm on the site does not like plants such as mustard, rapeseed, buckwheat, spinach, sweet clover, rapeseed and oilseed radish, so once every 2-3 years, in line with potatoes or root crops that the wireworm feeds on, you need to sow one of the listed crops In this case, the larvae will either die or, turning into beetles, will leave the area;
• those who have used rye against wireworms claim that it not only does not repel pests, but, on the contrary, attracts them. In addition, this crop takes too much moisture from the soil, so it is better to grow other plants as green manure;
• A very effective way to combat wireworms is to treat the surface of the area with table salt once every seven years (not more often).

Well, some advice for those who have just started cultivating a plot of land: there are a lot of wireworms in the virgin soil, so in the first years, until you remove all the larvae and all the roots of the weeds from the ground, it is better not to grow potatoes and root vegetables on the plot. Plant legumes, nightshade or pumpkin crops for now.

How to remove wireworms from your property

Wireworm in potatoes

If the issue with the number of click beetle larvae in a potato plot has become very acute, you need to get rid of the pest by all available means. How to get rid of wireworms on potatoes? We have described to you how to protect the garden from the appearance of the click beetle using preventive measures, but if the wireworm does appear in the potato field and begins to spoil the tubers, immediately begin laying out baits and traps around the area: place pieces of carrots and beets in a shallow hole and use Cover the trap. You can dig a half-liter jar with pieces of root vegetables into the ground up to the neck for each m² of land and cover them. After 2-3 days, remove the jars from the ground and destroy the larvae collected in them.

Prepare an infusion of nettle, celandine, dandelion or coltsfoot according to the following recipe: take 100 g of celandine, 200 g of coltsfoot and dandelion, 500 g of nettle - pour 10 liters of water and infuse for 12 hours (celandine infuse for 3 days), after which the infusion is filtered and watered on the soil on the site.

In order for you not to have to fight an invisible pest, do not grow potatoes on the plot for more than 2 years, alternate them with legumes, and before planting, treat the tubers with a solution of the active substance Prestige, which will protect the potatoes not only from wireworms, but also from mole crickets and beetles. and the Colorado potato beetle. And do not forget to annually carry out preventive measures that protect the garden from wireworms more reliably than the strongest drugs.

Wireworm in carrots

Wireworms attack many root crops, including carrots, but it is undesirable to use toxic chemicals in the fight against the pest due to their ability to accumulate in root crops. It is difficult to do without insecticides in industrial areas, but in a private garden it is quite possible to cope with click beetle larvae using non-toxic folk remedies. How to get rid of wireworms in carrots? The following techniques may help you:

• laying out pieces of potatoes, beets or carrots in holes dug in the area. Check bait traps every 2-3 days;
• treating the soil on the site with herbal infusions;
• planting marigolds, beans, peas, soybeans or black beans between rows of carrots;
• Wireworm mustard is used as a preventive measure. You can sow mustard on the plot a month before planting or sowing carrots. The seeds are planted to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. When the mustard grows to 15-20 cm, it is trimmed and embedded in the ground with a flat cutter or cultivator, having previously been treated with the fermentation-accelerating drug Baikal EM 1, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:500. After this, you can plant carrots, potatoes, beets and other root vegetables.

How to deal with wireworms in areas with other crops? The same as in a potato field or carrot beds.

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Wireworm is the larva of a nutcracker beetle. The cover is hard and shiny. Body length is 1-4.5 cm, color - from yellow to brown. The duration of the larval phase is 3-4 years, after which they pupate and turn into an adult insect. Larvae and beetles overwinter in the ground.

There are many species of nutcrackers, most of which cause serious damage to crops. In the wild, beetles choose places densely overgrown with grass and love to live in the roots of wheatgrass. Root crops are preferred among agricultural crops: potatoes, onions, sunflowers, carrots, barley, wheat, and various seedlings.

There is a false wireworm (darkling beetle larvae) similar to the real one. In addition to root vegetables and grains, it readily eats pumpkin, zucchini, sugar beets, and young fruit trees. The duration of the larval phase is 1 year. The same methods are used to control both types of pests.

Review of pest control products and drugs

Nutcracker beetles cause great damage to homestead farms and agricultural complexes. The larvae gnaw tunnel-like passages in root crops, eat the seedlings, and destroy the seedlings. Tubers and roots damaged by nutcracker larvae quickly deteriorate and become unsuitable for storage and planting. There are especially many of these pests in areas that have not previously been cultivated or have been overgrown for a long time. A variety of means are used to combat them.

Bazudin

Bazudin insecticide is a phosphorus-containing granular insecticide based on diazinon. An effective remedy against wireworms. Allows you to quickly clear the land from pests living in the upper layers of the soil. Penetrates through the outer covers of the larvae and with food, destroys the nervous system of insects.

The effects of the insecticide are observed within the first 24 hours and last up to 6 weeks. The product is moderately toxic (hazard class 3), but is harmful to the inhabitants of water bodies. The product is not phytotoxic.

In a liter container, ¼ granules are mixed with ¾ sand or sawdust. The mixture is applied to a depth of 5-15 cm at the rate of 15 g per 15 sq.m. for potatoes, cereals, and root vegetables. To protect potatoes from wireworms, the composition is embedded in the top layer of soil during the growing season. It is effective to treat the soil with an insecticide before planting at the rate of 15 g per 10 sq.m. plot.

When working with insecticide, you must wear rubber gloves, goggles, a respirator, and avoid contact with skin and mucous membranes. In case of accidental contact with skin or mucous membranes, rinse with plenty of water and immediately contact a hospital. Accidental ingestion causes severe poisoning, which should be treated under medical supervision. The effect of diazinon is neutralized by atropine only under the supervision of a physician.

Store anti-wireworm preparations in dry places, inaccessible to children and pets, away from food, medicine, animal feed, dishes and feeders. Storage temperature from -10 C to +35 C. The packaging is disposed of as a toxic substance. Do not combine with other drugs.

“Prestige” is an emulsion based on pencycuron and imidacloprid - a remedy for wireworms, false wireworms, mold, and fungus. Additionally, the composition includes substances that stimulate plant growth. The disinfectant is used to treat seedlings and plants during the growing season. The decay period of poisons is 40 days, so it does not get into fruits and tubers.

To protect potatoes, the disinfectant is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20 and the potatoes are evenly sprayed before planting, allowed to dry, and planted in the ground. The roots of cruciferous (cabbage) and nightshade seedlings are placed for 7 hours in a disinfectant solution, which is prepared in a ratio of 1:100.

The emulsion is classified as a moderately toxic substance (hazard class 3). When working, rubber gloves, a respirator, and goggles are required.

Do not touch treated seedlings with bare hands. After work, wash your hands and face thoroughly with soap, take a shower, rinse your mucous membranes, and change your clothes. In case of contact with mucous membranes or accidental ingestion, immediately consult a doctor.

Store the disinfectant separately from food, medicines, feed, and dishes in a dry place, out of reach of children and animals. Storage temperature is from -5 to +30 C. The drug solution is thoroughly mixed before use. The diluted emulsion cannot be stored.

Provotok is a granular preparation of diazinon. The drug Bazudin is completely identical in composition, release form, purpose and action to Provotox. The chemicals differ only by trade name.

Force The drug "Force" is a granular insecticide based on tefluthrin, effective against various garden and field pests including wireworms and. Maximum protects crops from harmful insects living near the soil surface. Duration of action is more than 1.5 months. Tefluthrin has active volatile components that, evaporating, penetrate the integument and respiratory system of insects, causing fatal poisoning within 10-30 minutes.

The poison does not get into the edible parts of the plants.

The chemical is evenly distributed in the soil at a depth of 10-15 cm using special equipment. Its consumption for moderate soil damage is 10 kg/ha. With a high concentration of potato pests, as well as when processing a field plowed for the first time, the dose can be increased to 15 kg/ha. The insecticide is applied to the soil the day before planting.

Due to volatile fractions, the substance is classified as highly toxic. Working with it requires caution, rubber gloves, a respirator, and glasses. Store in the dark, in a dry place at a temperature from -5 to +35 C. The drug must be kept away from children and animals, away from food, feed, medicines and utensils.

Cruiser, KS

The product is used to treat ungerminated seeds using appropriate equipment. To prepare the solution, fill the tank of the pickling machine halfway with water, add a disinfectant, mix thoroughly, add the rest of the water and mix again. The prepared composition can be stored for no more than a day, and the treated seeds for no more than 6 months.

Different plants are treated with solutions of different concentrations.

• Potatoes – 0.03 l/c.
• Sugar beets – 1-1.5 l/c.
• Corn – 0.6-0.9 l/c.
• Spring rape – 4 l/c.
• Sunflower – 0.6-10 l/c.
• Winter wheat 0.04-0.05 l/c.

Metarizin is an organic remedy for wireworms, false wireworms, and other harmful larvae and insects that inhabit the soil. The active substance is an entomapathogenic fungus that affects insects, but is safe for all mammals, birds, bees, and earthworms. The drug is a peat-humic fertilizer that accelerates the growth of crops, increases yield and gradually eradicates pests.

The composition is non-toxic and safe. Combines with various fertilizers.

The maximum effect is manifested if you water the area before autumn or spring digging, or during hilling. To treat seedlings, prepare a solution in a ratio of 1g/liter; stirring, add clay. The amount of clay should be such that the suspension acquires a creamy consistency; use immediately. For spraying and watering, prepare a solution of 1 g per 1 liter of water. Water: 10 liters per 100 sq.m. Useful video:

Means and methods of combating wireworms

1. How to get rid of wireworms without chemicals
2. Regular removal of garden waste and weeding of the area reduces the number of pests, forcing them to migrate. Some of the larvae die of starvation.
3. Deep digging and loosening also clears the area of ​​nutcracker beetles.
4. Trap. Before spring digging, piles of dry grass are laid out on the site for several days, in which the larvae like to hide. They are then burned, killing the insects.
5. Bait. A potato tuber cut and buried to a depth of about 15 cm, cut side down, attracts larvae. After 2-4 days, the bait is dug up and the hanging pests are destroyed.

• Watering with herbal infusions.
• 0.5 kg of finely chopped nettle per 10 liters of water. Leave for 12 hours.
• 100 celandine per 10 liters of water. Leave for 3 days.
• 200 g of finely chopped dandelion greens per 10 liters of water. Leave for 12 hours.

A handful of onion peels in a hole when planting potatoes repels insects.

To prevent the appearance of nutcracker beetles, the following methods are used.

Recently, the wireworm has been a real disaster for summer residents who grow a variety of root crops and, of course, potatoes, the favorite food of this beetle.

The harm from it has often become comparable to the harm from the Colorado potato beetle, and it is all the more offensive that the wireworm, by drilling holes in potatoes, spoils the ripe crop of potatoes and other root crops that are almost ready for harvesting.

This spread may be due to the fact that we are trying to avoid chemicals in our dachas and gardens, so the spread of this pest has acquired unprecedented proportions.

How to fight?

In those areas where you do not use garden chemicals, the main means of combating wireworms is deep and thorough, and most importantly, systematic soil cultivation, including in order to deprive it of its food supply.

The population of this beetle in your garden can be negatively affected by deep digging, and even deep loosening of the earth; according to my observations, the most powerful effect is brought by autumn digging, but do not disdain spring digging - at this moment wireworms lay eggs.

Destruction of weeds, primarily creeping wheatgrass - a favorite delicacy of wireworms (manually or, at worst, with the help of Roundup herbicide) will also allow you to reduce the scale of the disaster.

We also note that this beetle does not tolerate nitrogen fertilizers - they are very toxic for it, and even adding 20-25 grams per square meter of ammonium sulfate will restrain its mass reproduction, but you will only feed potatoes, which love nitrogen-containing fertilizers, with this.

If the area is small (for example, a greenhouse or greenhouse), then you can take the time to make simple traps - to do this, simply cut the potato tubers in half and bury them to a depth of 10-17 centimeters in the ground with the cut to the bottom - after a few days, dig up and remove the wireworms that stick around the tuber and repeat the procedure. In order not to forget the place where the bait was placed, stick a wire or twig above it as a kind of “target designator”.

Also, as a measure to combat wireworms, one can consider sowing lettuce and corn in the rows of potatoes and root crops at a summer cottage, followed by removing plants 15-25 cm high (nutcrackers climb into the roots of corn and lettuce stems), which reduces the number of the pest.

At the beginning of spring, you can make another type of trap, also the simplest one. Just place small piles of straw or hay on the site - wireworms climb under them en masse to lay eggs, after which the straw or hay is collected and destroyed.

Also, scientists and environmentalists offer a proven method - the use of ordinary potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate): 2 grams of the drug per 10 liters. water.

In the same way, you can protect seedlings from this pest - even before planting the seedlings in the ground, water the holes with a solution of potassium permanganate - and the beetles and larvae will die. Make the solution for watering holes slightly concentrated: 3-4 grams per 10 liters of water.

Attention: Watering with potassium permanganate to combat wireworms should only be used on neutral and alkaline soils - on acidic soils, excess manganese can damage young seedlings, causing burns.

It is useful to use ash from tree bark - sprinkle it between the rows.

In the fight against wireworms, celandine is often used. Chop 4 celandine bushes, add 10 liters of water, leave for 15 minutes and water the beds.

Folk remedies for fighting wireworms, proven in practice

Prepare 30x30 cm squares from burlap or gauze. Occasionally, you can pull out the thread so that the fabric is passable for the wireworm. Roast the sunflower seeds and grind them on a board with a gurney. You can add any cereal greased with vegetable oil to the grated seeds. There is no need to sift out the husks from the seeds. Up to 6 squares of bait will go per 1 acre.

After the potatoes have been planted, we make a hole in the space between the rows and place one square folded in half into it, like closing a book. Pour a spoonful of bait inside and cover it with earth. We put stick marks. We place baits in 5-6 steps.

After 10-12 days or during the first weeding, open each deposit” and collect the “catch” in a jar. If the ground is contaminated, there will be up to 30-40 wireworms.

If you are weeding with a walk-behind tractor, then first walk along the trap rows - collect the larvae, and place the burlap on the ridge of the potatoes; loosen the trap rows first, then tuck everything back into place and don’t forget to put the marking sticks. After 10-14 days - re-collection.

Troublesome? But this is a very effective way.

But this is what B.V. offers. Menshinin “To prevent wireworms, you need to sprinkle slag, sifted through an armored mesh, about 5 kg per 1 sq. m. m. Great experience, check it out.”

Chicken from wireworm

We moved from the city to the village in the spring of 1999 and bought a house with a plot. The garden had not been used for six years and was overgrown with dandelions and wheatgrass.

They decided to plant most of the land with potatoes. There was one goal - to develop the land, identify pests, determine the pH of the soil based on weeds, etc. After spring plowing, I collected 13 buckets of dandelion roots and a bunch of wheatgrass rhizomes. On May 1st I planted potatoes.

The seedlings appeared skinny, all summer I broke up clods of earth, hilled them up, and pulled out weeds. In the fall we got a “skinny” harvest, and all the potatoes were riddled with wireworms.

In general, there was something to think about. Some advised burying peeled garlic cloves in the holes, others - fresh pine sawdust, chicken droppings, etc. We decided to do this: in the fall, in the chicken coop (and we had already bought chickens), we covered the floor with fresh sawdust, and as soon as they were covered with droppings, they added new ones - and so on all winter.

In the spring, before planting, dandelions and wheatgrass were again picked out of the ground, and a good handful of sawdust and manure was poured into each hole.

The shoots were cheerful, dark green, the earth became softer, and it was easier to hill up. The harvest was quite normal, and most importantly, there were almost no holes in the tubers. We did this for five or six years and completely got rid of the wireworm.

The sawdust improved the structure of the soil, the “hen” fed the plants, and all together this was not to the taste of the pest. Gradually we got rid of both wheatgrass and dandelions.

© L. Ganshina p. Petrovskoye, Tambov region.

Potato in a mustard spacesuit

We have a lot of wireworms in our potato field, but we can’t introduce crop rotation—there’s no room. Since I didn’t like throwing away three tubers out of every ten, I decided to conduct an experiment this year. And I bought a dozen bags of mustard powder.

In the spring, the tubers, greened as usual, were dipped in Humate solution before planting, and then thoroughly rolled in mustard powder. And she planted it. I used the excess mustard in the summer to wash dishes - it washes off grease very well, no “Fairy” is needed.

I took care of the potatoes as usual. And when it was time to dig the crops in the fall, there was no limit to surprise. The tubers were clean! And there were surprisingly few wireworms.

Of course, maybe this is a bad year for wireworms. But I will definitely repeat the experience next season.

E. NEKRASOVA Moscow region.

How I got rid of the wireworm

What made me take up pen were letters from ordinary gardeners who are fighting to save their potatoes from wireworms. Judging by their desperate pleas, victory most often remains with the pest. I, too, was very familiar with such sorrows at one time.

But back to the wireworm.

At first he wasn’t in the garden, I even thought that I wouldn’t meet him at all. And then one day the inevitable happened - half of the bushes died. This means that the enemy has already multiplied in the land and we must somehow deceive him.

But as? I racked my brains all winter and came up with a bait for him. In the spring, a few days before planting the potatoes, I buried pieces of cut tubers scattered around the site, marking them with twigs stuck into the ground. Just before planting, I dug them up - each had from three to seven pests. In general, I pulled a lot out of the ground along with the bait of this abomination (when I was digging holes, I also came across it here and there in the ground, but rarely).

The potatoes planted after this suffered much less from the wireworm than in the previous year. After that, I began to do this every spring.

I was convinced that pieces of tubers should be dug up on the second or third day, so that the wireworm, which had a hearty meal of them, would not run away in search of new food. Carrots and beets are not suitable for bait.

In general, the problem was solved. At that time, I had one and a half acres allocated for potatoes. She collected the wireworms in a glass jar and gave them to her neighbor to feed the chickens. But one day an interesting incident happened. Having finished digging, I went to lunch. The husband was looking out the window and noticed that a magpie was jumping around the beds. When we returned to the garden, the jar was overturned and empty. I was very upset that the work of collecting the pest was in vain.

And the husband reassured him, saying that it was a magpie who was enjoying himself: “Look, how happy she is sitting on the tree.” Such a smart bird it turned out to be! I then left her a specially collected wireworm, and she, apparently in gratitude, exterminated other beetles and caterpillars on the plantings. Sometimes, of course, she caused harm: she pulled out peas, ate the tops of cabbage, and took away soap. I scolded her, and she angrily answered me: “Why are you barking?”

I will add that I selected seed potatoes from under the best and most productive bushes. At the end of April, I took out these tubers, sorted them out, and washed them of dirt. Then she decided to introduce an innovation and began to bathe them after that in a special solution: in 10 liters of water she diluted 2 g of copper sulfate, potassium permanganate and boric acid. I kept it in it for 20-30 minutes and then laid it out for germination.

The wireworm, or click beetle larva, is an insect pest that feeds on root crops and causes a lot of problems for gardeners and gardeners, and cannot tolerate mustard.

Got its unofficial name due to its resemblance to solid wire, has a length of up to three centimeters and a diameter of up to 4 millimeters, a dense cover and three pairs of legs located symmetrically near the head.

The main targets of wireworm attacks in gardens are potatoes, radishes, turnips, carrots, turnips, and the larvae do not disdain onions.

To effectively fight wireworms, you need to know what it loves and what it hates.

So, to the wireworm to your liking:

• wet places
• acidic soils
• dense plantings and deposits of organic residues

How to tell if the soil in your garden is acidic or alkaline

1 way: Take a closer look at which plants predominate in your area. If you have plantain, wheatgrass, bitingweed, horsetail, sorrel, your soil is acidic.

Method 2: Do the following experiment: pour table vinegar on a handful of soil. If the soil is alkaline, a reaction will follow - bubbles and “boiling”. If the soil is acidic, there will be no reaction.

Wireworm diligently avoids:

• mustard
• legumes (and therefore nitrogen compounds)
• phytoncides

Recently, the use of mustard has become widespread in the fight against wireworms.

This is due to the fact that mustard contains sulfur compounds in its composition (which determines its spicy, burning taste), which is absolutely not to the taste of the click beetle larva.

How to use wireworm mustard on potatoes

This plant of the cabbage family is used in two ways.

Application of mustard powder

It is necessary to add when planting potatoes one teaspoon of dry mustard powder in each well.

If the amount of wireworm goes beyond all limits, you can mix mustard powder with ground red pepper (in accordance with 5:1). Among other things, both mustard and red pepper also have antibacterial properties.

Seeding as a living fertilizer

Mustard is an annual plant, it capable of growing green mass very quickly, accumulating useful potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. Mustard must be sown before planting potatoes (in April-May) over the entire area of ​​the potato field.

Mustard is unpretentious and can withstand frosts down to -5 degrees. Before the potatoes are planted, the plant will have time to ripen; it must be mowed and dug into the surface layer.

How else can you effectively fight wireworms?

Returning to the list of preferences of the click beetle larva, we can distinguish three main areas of work in the garden:

• avoiding dense plantings
• Carrying out periodic weeding of plantings (especially from cereals and wheatgrass)
• carry out work on reducing soil acidity. Fluff lime, chalk, dolomite flour or ground eggshells will help with the latter.

It is advisable to work to reduce the acidity of the soil before starting gardening: apply fertilizer to the surface and dig the soil deeply. It is recommended to add lime additives no more than once every 3 years.

Why is it dangerous for potatoes?

Feeding on root crops, the wireworm makes deep tunnels in them, which leads to loss of presentation of the product, spoilage and rotting in the future.

When affected by wireworms, the presentation of the potato is immediately lost.

Damaged tubers become watery, quickly flabby and darken. The waste products of the larvae left in the potatoes also contribute to rapid fermentation.

When harvesting potatoes, you need to carefully discard damaged material. If the larvae get into the vegetable storehouse, they can damage almost the entire crop, moving from one tuber to another.

Chemicals

In the fight against wireworms, “Bazudin”, “Gromoboy-2”, “Medvedox-U”, “Calypso” are widely used. Granules of the drug "Provotox", added to the hole during planting, have a long-lasting effect.

Nemabact - the newest chemical agent against wireworms

The newest chemical agents include the bacteriological drug “Nemabakt” - a symbiosis of a predatory nematode and bacteria. The nematode, getting into the wireworm, triggers the mechanism of destruction. Moreover, the predator’s actions are narrowly targeted: it is safe for earthworms and other soil inhabitants, as well as for humans and animals.

Other means

Leguminous plants produce nitrogen compounds necessary to feed any garden crops. Nitrogen also reduces soil acidity. And for gardeners faced with the larva of the click beetle, legumes are of strategic importance.

Onion peel is a strong phytoncide of natural origin.

When planting potatoes in the hole, add handful of onion peels. You can enhance the effect by mixing the husks with the needles of any coniferous tree.

Phytoncides are a natural antibiotic that provides the natural immunity of the plant. It has been proven that these substances are secreted by absolutely all plants; it’s just that some plants produce them only for their own protection, while others are able to help others.

Flowering bushes of calendula or marigolds have a deterrent effect on wireworms. Recommended sow them in rows between rows of potatoes or along the perimeter.

Ash

has a neutralizing effect, is actively used by gardeners for soil deoxidation and in fertilizing. It is advisable to add wood ash before digging at the beginning of each gardening season.

Green manure

Green manures are plants grown in gardens to provide additional nutrition to the soil. Usually they are allowed to grow until seed pods form and are mowed and then incorporated into the soil. During the fermentation process, green manure plants enrich the soil with organic fertilizers.

Mustard, legumes, alfalfa, clover and other plants are used as green manure.

When starting the fight against wireworms, you need to remember that the cycle of transformation of a beetle larva into an adult is five years. Therefore, there is no need to hope that it can be defeated with one-time measures. You need to try to make the life of a wireworm in the garden unbearable, using all of the above in combination.