wireworm: prevention beats cure !

[Alison Adams]

We are in the process of turning a little corner of English countryside into a veg garden. I just started reading about wireworm and Im wondering if we should have a rethink ! I am worried we are going to be root-crop-less for the first few years until we get rid of the darn things which sound like an inevitability as we are taking over farmland that for years has been used for grazing.
We are using raised beds if that matters, but first put a few tons of not very good rubble strewn soil over what was the grazing land as there was a big hole there - maybe that will help - the bad guys are now about 6' further underground than when they started !
My question - before we plant anything is there anything we can do to discourage wireworm (A big sign saying Bu**er Off ! maybe ?) or more seriously, might it be best to avoid root veg - though we had planned lots esp our favourites parsnips and turnips (swedes).
Any advice before we get going would be appreciated if it can stave off major disappointment at wintertime.

Ali

[Sue]

Hi
Do you have chickens? I save all mine up and give them to the hens. When I started I didn't have huge infestations but there were enough and they didn't seem to do a huge amount of harm.
Now the allotment is all raised beds I find around 2-3 every time I dig the beds over and these are easily spotted and hoicked out for a light hen snack.
Sue

[Shaun the Sheep]

I always find a few wireworms when I dig/turn over the soil, but they don't seem to do a lot of harm - certainly not as much as the slugs. There is usually a robin around who appreciates a wireworm snack.