Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-10-17
WIRE WORMS
Their Control by Crop
Rotation.

Rotation.
Orono, Me-. Oct. 1.-THE following
was issued today from the ONCE OF
Charles D. Woods. director Of the
Maine Agricultural Experiment sta
ton at the University Of Maine:
Among the many inquiries received
by the Maine Agricultural Expert
ment Station are frequently letters
expressing encouragement because
Of the prevalence Of wire worms.
Often total losses occur when corn OF
potatoes are planted the f1rst year
after breaking old sod land and much
loss occurs annually in reduced yields
which is directly attributable to this
pest. 1t is the purpose Of this letter
to discuss some principles in hand
ling lands which will at once main
tain the fertility OF the soil and con-
troll one Of the worst ground inhabi-
ting insects affecting Maine agricul-
ture, the wire worms.
wire worms" is the common
name for a number Of species Of in
sects which inhabit the ground In
this larval stage they are one-half to
one inch long with a wiry. cylindrical
tough, waxy brown, shining body.
They squirm somewhat sideways
when picked up and when uncovered
in the soil attempt to bore back
through the ground into which they
disappear very rapidly. They should
not be confused with the millepedes"
which are about the same size. have
many legs along the under side. are
a darker brown and curl up in a ring
when disturbed. Millepedes are more
often found under boards whereas
wireworms always live in the ground.
The wireworms live during years in
the soil all the while feeding upon the
roots of grasses and weeds. AS eggs
are laid each year there are always
at least 8 generations resident in the
sod-lands at one time. AS gencr-
alton reaches mature condition each
individual constructs an earthen cell
of one year to June Of the next year
while they change over" to a dark.
slender beetle. These adult "click- bee
| ties" select out and lay eggs in the old
meadow-lands and old hay fields from
| which the wireworms develop. This
| latter point should be borne in mind,
| that the natural breeding place Of
| wireworms Is the old meadows and
old hay fields that have notsrecently
produced cultivated crop. If then.
these fields can be made unacceptable
to the adult beetle she will not lay
eggs in that field but in other more
natural locations. How can we make
those fields unnatural to the wire
worm adult egg layer?
Obviously it is easily canouf1aged
by putting in another crop SO unlike
hay that the adults do not lay eggs
there. Let US take several pieces of
that will include not more than
years in sod for single piece of
land and during the other years
growing small grain, clover and a
cultivated crop. What effect does
this cropping system have on the
wireworms? In the first place the
crops have made the la I'd unsuitable
for the adults to lay eggs in and no
new generations have developed
while each year the resident wire
worms have reached a mature condi-
ticn, ha changed over" to beetles
and have hown away. So that even
tually the land has become compar-
atively free from a pest which was
formerly serious check to cultivated
plants. 1t is possible that a second
year inv sod may induce a few fe-
males to lay eggs in the grass land
but in any case this will represent
but one generation of wireworms
whereas ordinary sod land always
has at least three. From the stand
| point of systematic wireworm con-
troll there is no process any more eff
| fective than crop rotation although
fall blowing greatly reduces the num-
! Der of individuals. Fall blowing re-
duces the number Of wireworrms in
the soil, crop rotation prevents any
more from getting in.
| One should not be deceived because
he sometimes gets a good stand of
corn in spite of wireworm atta-k. 1t
| is not unusual for spring wire
worm attack to be succeeded by a
fairly good growth during a particu-
larly favorable summer and early
fall. But in this. latitude one can
not trust that the climate will be IA
vorable. 1t is too much Of a gamble
| and that is exactly where wireworms
become especially important under
Maine conditions. A spring setback
to corn due to wireworm attack will
| not only materially reduce the yield
but it may prove disastrous to the
entire investment. As regards yield
and wireworms, one should not for
get that it is the number Of filled out
grains on the cob which count up the
bushels Of the yield and that a plant
| cannot produce a maximum Of wire
| worms and grain at the same time.
The following Maine men have been
commissioned as second lieutenants
| of Coast Artillery. after a course in
! 4 -. a L.