The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17

WireWorms are menace 10 such
crops as wheat. cotton and corn.
Birds that are known to feed ON
wirewoims either the larvg that de-
the damage or the adult beetles, are tho
following:
Bobwhite. Whippoorwill,
Flicker California quali,
Mourning dove. Cowb.rd,
Ruled grouse, Bobolnk.
Crow,
Besides the above, certain hawks,
cuckoos. woodpcclScrs, phThes hy-
catchers. Jays. blackb,rds. orioles and
sparrows help the farmer in protecting
his grain from the undesirable wire
worm.
Wireworms when they do most OF
their damage are merely grubs measur-
ing from one-half inch to over three
inches in length. but they are more
readily recognized when grown into
adult beetles These beetles are known
IN certain localities as "cpck beetles"
skip Jacks" Swapping beetles" &c.
These names are all derived from the
beetles habit of swapping the fore part
Of the body when placed upon hs back
or held between the fingers. The
worms that do the damage are usually
| yellow or reddish brown. with three
| pairs ~ short legs near the front Of
| the body,
| The term wireworm Is sometimes mis-
applied to the laive Of another group
Of beetles The mealworm which feeds
| upon stored products in warehouses
and granaries, IL one of these false
wireworms The beetles Of this group
Of insects do not snap the fore part Of
| the body as do those Of the true wire
| worm.
| The true wireworm, economically In
one OF the five worst pests That attack
corn. It is among the twelve worst
pests attacking wheat and oats With
the exception OF the cotton and corn
wireworm, these insects begin their at
lacks Immediately after seeding time
| when they attack the seed, eating out
the inside and leaving only the hull
| When they are very numerous they
often consume all the seed making re-
| seeding necessary, and In severe out
| breaks a second reseeding Is sometimes
| made before n stand Is obtained. Aside
| from the extra labor and cost OF the
seed, this delays the planting OF the
crop, and II II be corn, In the Northern
States the season IL too short 10 mature
so late planted n crop, and except foI
the fodder, II Is a failure Where wire.
worms are present even In very small
numbers corn will make n poor STAND
which will necessitate the planting IN
Of missing hills In some regions wher,
these insects are quite numerous Il IL
customary 10 GOV three or four times
the amount OF seed that would nor
mally be necessary in order to get q
good stand.
Cultural Methods of value.
The only remedies which have ac.
,uaily proved to be OF practical Value
in combating any OF the wireworms are
cultural methods, Even these in a mum.
Der Of cases have not proved entirely
satisfactory; however, they are prefer.
able 10 such apparently ineffective
means as endeavoring to KIN the adult
beetles by poison bats, drying the seed
% prevent its being eaten by the insect
or the Introduction of poisonous sub.
stances into tine soil
The wheat wirewoTm measures. wher
full grown, about an inch In length ant
it IL about AS thick as the lead in q
. pencil It's adult In a small brown
beetle only about one-quarter OF ar
inch long. This Is the most common
wireworm of the Northeastern an,
middle Western States.
The wheat wireworm is normally q
grass feeder living on the roots OF sod
and with tho abundance OF its natura
food supply producing no appreciate,
; disturbance in the meadows, but wher
! the sod land is broken these wireworm.
, concentrate in the drill rows or hill
! OF corn, the usual crop 10 follow sod n
lthe eastern United States. and Otter