WIREWORM problems

[alan4heidi]

We have just erected a new greenhouse and needed soil to put in it so sifted some from bottom of garden to fill pots for tomato plants, however there were a lot of wireworms in the soil , I managed to get rid of any that I spotted when sifting but missed quite a lot as well. what harm can they cause ?? any advice please thank you alan

[Guest]

Wireworms are normally an issue for potatoes and some root crops. They are often found on reclaimed grassland and will normally dwindle over time through cultivation. You can also bury a potato with a stick in it (stick so you know where the spud is), then dig up the spud and dispose as it should end up with the wireworms in.

[Mr Bones]

Have noticed on the allotments there seems to be confusion, even amongst experienced gardeners, between wireworms and soil centipedes.
Both Mrs B and I were told by our dads that soil centipedes are wireworms which appears to be a general misconception.
Luckily I've never seen a wireworm but am repeatedly told that soil centipedes (mistakenly called wireworms) make small holes in spuds when in fact they're in there looking for the slugs that made the holes.
I'm not for a minute suggesting your wireworms are centipedes A4H but my rambling mind wonders how centipedes acquired such an identity crisis in our area.