A question about the creatures I have found in soil.

[heebiejeebie]

On the near end of my lottie I cut the long grass & weeds, glyphosated (twice) then dug over (OK paid someone else to do the really heavy digging !) and covered it for 6 months.

This spring I have been preparing beds and planting. There are centipedes galore and also I have seen some smaller orangey-brown wiggly things, generally in the jaws of the centipedes. The centipedes are up to 1-3 inches long, the other creatures are about 0.5-1 inch long and thinner.

Are the centipedes eating their own smaller relatives or are they eating something else?

[TPeers]

The orange things are wireworms. I recommend that you do not plant root crops in the ground this year, stick to brassicas, salad crops or corn - something which crops above ground. The wireworm are likely to chew any root crops, the crop may still be useable, but highly disfigured.

The wireworms will slowly dissappear back into the nearest grassy area, they dislike cultivated soil.

[heebiejeebie]

Oh dear, the spuds are already in!

[heebiejeebie]

I've been on google looking at pics of wireworms - the creatures I saw were skinnier than that.