Description and life cycle of the click beetle pest

Click beetles, or wireworms, are a whole family of beetles. They are quite large insects, reaching a maximum length of approximately five centimeters (usually 2 cm). The family comprises a large number of species: 10,000 inhabit the Americas and Europe, are found in Asia, and several hundred species live in Russia, distributed almost everywhere.

The beetles got their name "click beetle" from a characteristic feature. When flipped onto their backs, they will jump with a characteristic clicking sound. The sound will continue until the insect returns to its normal position.

Beetle larvae are called wireworms. They typically feed on the underground parts of most plants. They owe their name to their unusual body structure and behavior. They have a fairly dense covering of chitin and a worm-like body, which makes them resemble a piece of wire. The insect's thorax can be divided into several sections—the anterior and the middle. On the underside of the anterior thorax is a finger-like projection facing backward, and on the middle of the thorax is a corresponding pit. The beetle, when turned on its back, bends over, removing the projection from the pit and resting it against the edge of the pit wall. The projection then snaps back into place. This action allows the beetle to jump. It will continue to jump until it flips over onto its abdomen and legs.

Life cycle

The click beetle's life cycle lasts five years. In the spring, after hibernation (from April to July, depending on the region), female beetles lay their eggs in the topsoil. Cracks, weeds, clumps, and other uneven surfaces make this task especially easy. The eggs are laid in groups of 3-5. A female can lay a maximum of 200 white eggs at a time. Depending on the habitat and the species, the eggs hatch in approximately 20-40 days and develop for four years. The wireworms remain in the soil. During their first year, they feed on plant roots but cause virtually no damage to the homestead. By the following year, the larvae grow and usually turn yellow or light brown. They become mobile. Their bodies are covered with a chitinous shell, making them virtually impossible to crush. From this year onward, the larvae become dangerous and cause significant damage. By the fourth year, the mature larvae pupate in the soil, and new beetles emerge in the spring. The cycle repeats. Before pupation, the larvae must eat a lot—"build up reserves"—so they are very voracious.

Rules struggle folk means

Chemicals also harm beneficial organisms, so many prefer to use herbal remedies, such as celandine infusion. It's recommended to water the soil before planting.

Wood ash can be sprinkled between rows of plants. This will kill the wireworms.

Adding nitrogen-containing fertilizers to the soil and watering with ammonia water also has a beneficial effect. This also allows for additional plant nutrition.

One of the relatively cheap but effective methods is crushed eggshells, which are scattered throughout the area;

Wireworms are baited with pieces of beetroot, carrots, or oilcake in holes 7-15 cm deep, then covered with a layer of plywood or iron. After a few days, the holes are removed, and the larvae that have accumulated in them are burned. This procedure begins two weeks before planting and continues throughout the summer.

Decrease acids soils

The optimal conditions for wireworms are acidic and moist soil. In contrast, many food crops require neutral or alkaline soil. Therefore, another control method is liming the soil or reducing its acidity.

This procedure is recommended to be performed every three years. You can determine your soil type using litmus paper.

If your plot is infested with click beetle larvae, water your plants only after the soil has become very dry. The dry layer should be at least 15 centimeters deep. This will create a detrimental environment for the wireworms.

Agrotechnical methods for controlling the beetle

These methods are time-consuming to implement and a one-time use is not effective.

• In the fall, the area is deeply dug. The soil is dug as deeply as possible before the onset of frost. This prevents the larvae from hiding back in the soil and freezes to death;
• Soil hygiene. This is achieved by removing weeds, their roots, branches, and debris as completely as possible. During the first year, the rhizomes of couch grass and other weeds provide excellent food for larvae. Therefore, during the first stage (digging), it is necessary to carefully remove couch grass roots;
• Sunlight has a detrimental effect on beetle eggs, leading to death. Therefore, in late spring or summer, surface loosening of the soil is carried out;
• A two- or three-field crop rotation is used. This means that after the potato harvest, the field is planted with legumes. This also helps enrich the soil with nitrogen and combat many pests, including wireworms. It's also a good way to control weeds.

Chemical method

This method involves treating the soil with various wireworm control products. It has its drawbacks: the poisons are expensive and also affect beneficial animals and bacteria in the soil. Therefore, it's not always used, especially in small areas.

However, in cases where the click beetle infestation has already reached a significant level, you can use the solution "Aktara." It can be applied to the areas where the planting will take place, or the tubers you plan to plant can be soaked in the solution.

Prevention

• Every spring and fall, it's recommended to dig the soil in your garden to the maximum depth. The raised clumps remove weed roots, sticks, and wireworms that also fall to the surface and die in sunlight and heat (in summer) or frost (in winter).
• Regular weeding is essential to clear the area of ​​weeds and their roots. Click beetles and their larvae are particularly fond of couch grass. If this doesn't help and the grass is too overgrown, chemicals (such as Roundup) can be used to kill it.
• You can grow plants with a strong scent, such as marigolds. The aroma attracts pests, but the sap is toxic to the larvae. You can also alternate crops, for example, planting beans and soybeans after potatoes. Their roots harbor specialized bacteria that release nitrogen into the soil. This alkalizes the soil (reduces acidity) and is detrimental to pest larvae.

Reviews

Alena:

Our neighbors advised us to scatter mustard or rye seeds to get rid of wireworms. They say it's effective, but we haven't tried it ourselves yet.

Anna:

I've been sowing mustard after harvesting potatoes for years now. I haven't had any wireworms in a while. I've also heard there are varieties and plants that aren't as susceptible to pests. Someone recommended the Latona variety. However, I've been growing it for three years now, and my potato yield has decreased; the tubers are smaller. The click beetle larvae only bite through the potatoes a little.