Holes in spud

[Papamunch]

Having just returned to allotment growing and also having taken on an allotment that has laid untouched for thirty years or so, I am perplexed by the holes that appeared in our first crop of potatoes last year. There were two sizes of holes encountered one is about 3mm dia and I assume these are slugs, the others are no more than a millimetre and I havn't got a clue what caused these. Any advice?

[Scarlet]

Wireworm? though i think they might be bigger than a 1mm

[Two_Sheds]

The first year that I grew spuds on my previously grassy/weedy allotment, I had all manner of critters inside them.

Slugs made the initial hole, then things like millipedes & chafer grubs made their home inside

[Jeanied]

Snap - and I found some small centipedes living inside one of the holes - so I blamed them. Then I read up on it.
I put it down to the weedy plot that I took over and tried to 'clear' with a crop of spuds.

[gojiberry]

Wireworm and slugs are the two main culprits for holes, everyone else just makes the most of the free food once the holes have been made.

Ian

[vicky]

I had a wireworm problem last year with holes like you described. It is common on pasture that's just been cultivated - mine was - supposed to become less common with longer cultivation. It was suggested to put potatoes/carrots in the soil for them to burrow into and to remove these every so often to destroy any 'residents' - you can tie bits of string to them to pull them up - ie fish for them!

[Papamunch]

Thanks everyone, I must admit from the reading I've done I had come to the conclusion that the small holes might be wireworm but I needed confirmation. It seems also from reading that I just need to keep digging and eventually they will go because they do not like cultivated land. Is that right or is there anything I can do to speed this process up. I think I have also read somewhere although I cant find it now that green manure might work and a particular one is a favorite of theirs that they gorge themselves on. Has anyone got any advice please.