Photo of Soybean plantation rows view from the soil

Arash Rashed, University of Idaho
Associate Professor of Entomology

Wireworms, the larval stage of click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae), are generalist subterranean herbivores that cause significant damage in a variety of crops. Managing wireworms has been a challenge due to their long-life cycle, subterranean living habitat, and ability to survive wide range of host plants. Although there are a few insecticides available for conventional farming, there is no effective alternative control measure against wireworms in organic production. Thus, there is a critical need for developing effective non-chemical control protocols against wireworms.