It seems to most gardeners that the most dangerous pest is the Colorado beetle, but this is far from the case. You can get rid of it and enjoy a good harvest. The situation is much more complicated with the wireworm, from which it is quite problematic to get rid of. As for damage to the potato harvest, losses are inflicted colossal. Within the framework of this article, we consider who is a wirer and how to destroy it.
The wireworm is a small yellow worm, slightly harsh to the touch and reaching a length of up to 2.5 cm. It acts as an intermediate stage of development. First, they lay small eggs with a diameter of up to 1.5 mm, from which the wireworm appears. For 4 years, it has grown and develops, after which it goes into an adult individual, ready to set the eggs again. The wireworm feeds on the roots of the dust and root crops in the most moist and darkened places, especially where the thickets of herbs and crops of cereals are thicket.
How to win in the fight against wire?
First of all, it is necessary to get rid of such weeds as wheat. Try to plant plants not too often so as not to create thickets with constant humidity. You can plant peas, beans, chickpeas, beans around the perimeter or pointwise. It will be wonderful if one year you put this area with legumes. The wireworm does not stand them and leaves them. The most infected areas can be sown with buckwheat, mustard or clover.
If the soil has increased acidity on the territory of your personal plot, then it is worth applying chalk or lime, ash or egg shell when planting potatoes directly in the holes. Try to weed the garden as often as possible, and completely remove the rohs of weeds. If possible, all tops and dry grass should be burned, since the larvae are hidden in it. Ammonia water can be applied as fertilizer. It is useful to plant marigolds on the site, since the phytoncides released from them in the air scare away pests. Before frost, it is important to dig a site, since this way part of the larvae will be from the outside and freeze at the first freezing. With the onset of heat, this procedure is important to repeat, since the larvae also die from the effects of ultraviolet radiation. In addition, the digging before planting will remove the weeds remaining in the fall.
If you have a fairly large area, it is better to give preference to two -pound crop rotation. One part is planted with potatoes, and the other – bean, peas, buckwheat. This alternation of landing sites will not only kill pests, but also allow the soil to relax. In the next season you can get the most successful harvest without the use of pesticides and other chemicals.
The most effective trap for wire
It is not so easy to catch the majority of wireworth larvae, so a comprehensive approach to this case is needed. Consider several traps that will reduce the number of larvae harm to the crop. About two weeks before planting potatoes, it is advisable to sow the plot with corn or barley with nests. In each nest it is necessary to put 15 grains each. As the seedlings appear, the plants are dug up and destroyed, since larvae are taken in them.
In early spring, you need to make small recesses in the soil and put hay or last year’s grass there. After that, the heap needs to be a little moisturized and covered with boards. After a couple of days, the trap will need to be burned, since there will be a lot of worms in it. A similar procedure can be carried out repeatedly. A similar trap can be done in the fall. The more larvae you destroy, the less special will multiply in the next season.
The next trap of the bait are pieces of potatoes or beets, laid on a stick and dug into the ground. Every two days you need to pull out the bait and release from the wireworm. This treats will like the chickens, so you can give vegetables to the chickens, and use fresh pieces for bait for bait. Similar larvae can be done throughout the landing season. You can cut vegetables and place in a jar, previously dug up the neck into the ground. Not only larvae, but also adult individuals, bearers, and if you add a little sugar, then also ants will be included in such a trap.
How to plant potatoes so that the wireworm does not destroy the crop
In order for the wireworm to not destroy the crop, it is necessary to plant potatoes with the addition of eggshell and ash to the hole. This serves as a rather poisonous treat for the wireworm and the bear. You can prepare a solution of potassium permanganate and spill the holes before planting. A onion husk or special protective soil is placed under each potato, which can be purchased in a specialized store.
The use of insecticides must be carried out carefully according to the attached scheme so as not to harm people and animals, since they are dangerous to health.
You can scare away the wireworm and the bear with the help of needles, which is buried in the ground in the fall after harvesting. And only an integrated approach will help reduce the number of wireworm to a minimum or completely destroy it.
