Wire Worm!

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Gang!

Whilst we've been double digging our plot we've been removing the wire worms as we've gone, hasnt been too many, but enough to get us worried (as the plot hadnt been cultivated for 12+ monmths).

Today whilst re-digging the greenhouse borders I must have squished about 60 or 70 of them (in an 8' by 10' greenhouse), so it looks like we may have a problem with them!

I know they can be a problem for areas with onions and carrots, plus spuds (which fortunately are going to be in plot No2, where there isnt a wireworm problem), but we were planning on planting toms, chillis, melons and aubergines in the greenhouse, will any wireworm that are still in there cause us problems with these crops, or woould we be better off either digging out the soil and replacing it with some fresh, or growing in grow bags for this year?

Any advice, hints, tips or suggestions would be very welcome! Thanks in advance!

[shirlthegirl43]

Don't know anything about these so decided to have a look on google and found this:

http://www.gardeners.com/wireworm-co...ault/5311.page

Hope it works (and helps) - don't know the right way to paste a link!

[Mrs Dobby]

Thanks Shirl, hmm, the piccy on there is not what I've always thought of as wireworm, so perhaps I've been mistaken in my identification!

The thing we've seen lots of is the same colour, but very flexible and wriggly, has 2 feelers at its head, and looks like it has legs that stick out down either side, but they arent legs and it doesnt walk on them.

Anyone any ideas as to what it is then?

[shirlthegirl43]

Thought they were just centipedes - I get lots of those - about an inch long and orangey-red?

found this which says they are harmless (if you look at the garden ones)

http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/centip.htm

[Snadger]

Thanks Shirl, hmm, the piccy on there is not what I've always thought of as wireworm, so perhaps I've been mistaken in my identification!

The thing we've seen lots of is the same colour, but very flexible and wriggly, has 2 feelers at its head, and looks like it has legs that stick out down either side, but they arent legs and it doesnt walk on them.

Anyone any ideas as to what it is then?

Just adopt the old adage ' If it moves fast, it's a predator so let it predate. If it moves slow, squish it!'

Sounds like centipedes btw which are omnivorous, sometimes feasting on sick plants roots!

Douse the greenhouse path/soil with Armillatox pathcleaner to get rid!

Google Armillatox for information!

[Snadger]

Just realised...worms are slow moving...for cripes sakes don't squish them!

[Mrs Dobby]

Ooops! Dont think I'll be squishing any more then!

Shirl, thanks for the link, it looks like they are Snake Centipedes, so fairly harmless, and not as we'd been told by another plotholder that they were wireworms! Guess who feels like a right pratt! Newbie made to look silly by one of the old hands on our plot! Grr!! Ah well, live and learn!

Snadger, dont worry I wont be squishing any worms, even carefully moved a few today, tho if its slugs n snails, then squish it will be!

[shirlthegirl43]

At least you take notice and think they may be a problem. Not like me - I hate anything with more than 4 or less than 2 legs but can't kill any of them! Slugs get the hedgehog friendly slug pellets then I try to ignore all the corpses until the birds have cleaned them up! Hate worms but tolerate them for obvious reasons. Strangely, love mice and have not too big a problem with rats but would rather they didn't live near my house!

Thank you for making me google for the wire worms - I have seen quite a few of the centipedes while sorting out the areas where I am going to grow veggies instead of lawn but just decided they must be okay. Only now am I realising how many troublesome things I may be ignoring, think I saw some cockchafer grubs last year - honestly thought that most wild things were sorting each other out! Naive aren't I