Every year every gardener has to think about the question - how to get rid of wireworms in a potato plot? There are two methods: the use of chemicals and the use of agricultural technology. It is advisable to refuse the first one. Thanks to chemistry, not only pests die, but also microorganisms beneficial to the soil, and earthworms are destroyed.
In this article we will look at 10 ways to combat wireworms. Everyone has the opportunity to choose the one that suits them and put it into practice.
Prevention
In the fall, when digging potatoes and in the spring when planting, you can find click beetle larvae in the ground. One offspring lives in the soil for 4 years. These are the most harmful and dangerous little creatures so strong that it can be difficult to get rid of them. But if you try, make every effort, giving preference to obtaining a healthy harvest, then everything becomes possible.
It must be remembered that there are several signs that contribute to the proliferation of these pests. Knowing them, you can reduce the larvae and the beetle itself on the site by 50-90% in 2-3 years.
- The beetles begin laying larvae in April as the soil warms. They like to settle in places where there is a lot of wheatgrass and other perennial vegetation. In conclusion, you need to regularly clear the soil of weeds.
- Eggs are laid by females to a depth of 3 cm and mature within 3 weeks. The duration of ripening depends on the weather. They develop in the soil for about 4 years and go to a depth of 10-15 cm.Then in June-July they turn into pupae, then into beetles, which overwinter in the soil until spring. This means, as an option, late plowing to full depth before a hard freeze. Pests end up in the top layer of plowed soil - and most of them die from the cold.
Lures and traps
An effective way that deserves special attention is to make wireworm baits. It’s scary to think - the female lays up to 200 or more larvae over the summer. Therefore, it makes sense to collect pests even manually.
Any tin or plastic jars will do. We fill them with delicious food for the wireworm - chopped potatoes, carrots, beets. We make holes on the sides and bottom of the can. We bury it in the ground so that the top of the cans remains on the surface. Every two days we inspect, remove pests and bury the jars again. If necessary, replace the contents of the jars with fresh chopped vegetables.
Another more simplified option is to make a depression in places in the area before planting or in the fall after digging. Lay last year's leaves, sprinkle sawdust, straw, water, cover with oilcloth, boards or plywood. After two days, see if there are a lot of wireworms, you need to burn the foliage and repeat the process.
Planting beans and legumes
Experienced gardeners have chosen the best way to plant beans in holes with potatoes. But there is a point: it is recommended to plant legume seeds as soon as the first sprouts appear on the surface. Beans are a heat-loving plant, so they can rot in cold soil. You should also know that it is better not to plant peas with potatoes, since the crops are not compatible.
Green manure
The most effective and repellent wireworm is white mustard. You can plant it in the fall after digging or in early spring before plowing the garden. When it grows 10 cm, it is cut off and plowed with soil. There it rots, fertilizing the soil, and the essential oils of the plant repel pests. As an option, some gardeners alternate planting green manure with potatoes in rows.
Another planting method is when the gardener divides the plot in half. One part is planted with green manure (buckwheat, mustard, phacelia, peas, clover, alfalfa, sweet clover, spinach, rapeseed, oilseed radish). The second part is potatoes and beans. The next season, the planting sites change.
Reducing the acidity of the earth
The wireworm loves to live in acidic soils (horsetail, plantain, and horse sorrel grow on it). Therefore, if you notice these plants on the site, then you need to neutralize the acidity of the soil. Helps to cope with this: wood ash, ground eggshells, chalk, ammonium nitrate (1/2 teaspoon per hole), potassium permanganate (2-4 g per bucket of water), superphosphate.
Dry substances can be placed in holes when planting potatoes. Egg shells are moistened with sunflower oil in advance. It should also be noted that the use of nitrate reduces the starch of potato tubers, which leads to its wateriness. Therefore, it is important not to overdo it with the portion.
Herbal infusions
Watering potatoes with herbal infusions will allow small areas to effectively say goodbye to many pests. We alternate watering with different types of infusions.
- Take separately into a bucket of water: nettle (500 g), celandine (100 g), dandelion (200 g). Celandine is infused in hot water for 72 hours, dandelion and nettle for up to 12-16 hours. You can calculate the ratio by brewing the herbs, then pour them into a larger container by adding water. And then water the planted potatoes or holes before planting. 2-3 such waterings will be required per week.
- Using tansy: take a kilogram of the plant per bucket of water. Brew in hot water and leave in a dark place until the foam disappears. Do not use metal utensils. The infusion is used for irrigation in a ratio of 1:20.
- Before planting, you can treat the tubers in an infusion of celandine or wormwood.
Nematode Nemabact
This is a biological product based on parasitic nematodes. The manufacturer assures that this bioinsecticide is harmless to humans, animals, and plants. It is a hybrid of a nematode as a natural enemy of the wireworm. The nematode finds a victim and parasitizes it in the ground.
As a result, you can protect yourself from wireworms in this way with a two-year guarantee. Before use, be sure to read the instructions and strictly follow them. There are practically no analogues to the drug; there is “Protection” soil with the addition of nematodes, and a similar one is Antonem-F.
Biological product Metarizin
A modern new product with a triple effect - as a stimulant, fertilizer and insecticide. It is a product endowed with natural spores of the Metarhizium fungi that exist in soils untouched by humans. Such mushrooms actively fight several types of pests that have a negative impact on the composition of the soil.
The drug is completely harmless and is available in liquid and dry form. Another plus is that the product is applied both in the fall and in the spring when planting potatoes.
Onion peel
Wireworms do not like the smell of onions. Marigolds and calendula have the same repellent properties. They are planted along the perimeter or edges of the garden.
Before planting, the seed can be treated in infused onion broth. Many gardeners consider this method successful, since it repels not only pests, but also protects against disease.
Chemicals
If other methods do not help, they often resort to chemistry. But it’s worth remembering again - the use of chemicals leads to the destruction of normal microflora. Beneficial bacteria die. The composition of the soil deteriorates, and potato yields decrease accordingly.
But the saddest thing is that the drug can accumulate in tubers (albeit partially), which is harmful to human health. Some users say: chemicals have a worse effect on pests every year. Especially if the same drug is reused every year. In any case, there is always a choice. The more common drugs are: Prestige, Tabu, Provotox, Aktara, Bazudin.
Getting rid of wireworms is not easy, but it is possible. It is important to show persistence and patience for the benefit of the health of the family and the environment. The methods proposed in the article will make it possible to make the best choice for each gardener.
