Wireworm

What it does

Wireworms live in the soil and feed on germinating seeds, roots, and underground stems and tubers. They bore into planted seeds and hollow them out before they sprout, tunnel into potatoes and root crops, and chew seedling roots, producing gaps and thin, uneven stands. They move up and down in the soil with temperature and moisture.

Where it lives

Found nationwide, wireworms are especially common in fields recently converted from sod, grass, or pasture, since the beetles prefer to lay eggs in grassy ground. They live entirely in the soil across gardens, crop fields, and turf, staying deeper in hot or dry conditions and rising to feed near the surface in spring and fall.

How it breeds

Adult click beetles lay eggs in the soil, often in grassy or weedy ground. The larvae, the wireworm stage, feed and grow slowly over two to six years depending on the species before pupating in the soil and emerging as adults. This long larval life is why infestations persist across several seasons.

What it eats

Wireworms feed on the seeds, roots, tubers, and underground stems of many crops, including corn, potatoes, small grains, and various vegetables.

Identification

Wireworms are slender, hard-bodied larvae from about 1/2 to 1.5 inches, shiny yellow to orange-brown, and stiff, like a piece of wire. The adults are elongated brown or black click beetles that snap and flip themselves upright with an audible click when placed on their backs.

Signs of an infestation

• Poor, patchy, or thin seedling stands
• Hollowed-out or missing planted seeds
• Narrow tunnels bored into potatoes and root crops
• Wilted or dead seedlings with chewed roots
• Hard, wiry larvae found when digging in the soil

Prevention tips

• Avoid planting susceptible crops right after sod or grass
• Rotate to less-preferred crops in infested fields
• Cultivate soil to expose larvae to predators and drying
• Use bait stations to detect wireworms before planting
• Manage grassy weeds that support egg-laying beetles

Professional solutions

Wireworms are difficult to control once established because they live deep in the soil for years, so prevention and rotation matter most. For field crops, a local extension agent or agronomist can help scout with bait traps before planting and recommend labeled seed treatments or soil insecticides where risk is high, since rescue treatments after planting rarely work.