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Corn: Wireworms (Limonius spp. and others)

Author: OMAFRA Staff
Creation Date: 28 July 2005
Last Reviewed: 28 July 2007

Excerpt from Chapter 2, Field Crop Protection Guide, Order this publication

Table of Contents

  1. Description
  2. Integrated Pest Management Options
  3. Related Links

Description

Wireworms are larvae that are 7-35 mm long, cylindrical, copper-brown-coloured and hardened (Image 1). Adult wireworms are beetles that have the ability to flip themselves upright when placed on their backs, making an audible click as they do, giving them their name "click beetles."

Image 1. Wireworms have long, cylindrical, copper-brown, hardened bodies. They affect many crops, usually when following grassy crops in the rotation.
Image 1. Wireworms have long, cylindrical, copper-brown, hardened bodies. They affect many crops, usually when following grassy crops in the rotation.

Integrated Pest Management Options

Risk factors include history of cereal/corn/grassy weeds, sandy soils, history of wireworm problem, coming out of sod.

Threshold is one wireworm per bait trap. For bait trap information, see OMAFRA Publication 811, Agronomy Guide for Field Crops

Seed Treatment
clothianidin – Poncho 250
Active ingredient clothianidin
Trade name Poncho 250
Rate (product) 33.3 mL per 80,000 kernels

Comments
For use in commercial seed treaters only. Seed-applied insecticides can affect seed drop and final plant stands. Use talc or graphite according to planter recommendations to ensure accuracy.

imidacloprid – Gaucho 480 FL
Active ingredient imidacloprid
Trade name Gaucho 480 FL
Rate (product) 27 mL per 80,000 kernels

Comments
For use in commercial seed treaters only. Seed-applied insecticides can affect seed drop and final plant stands. Use talc or graphite according to planter recommendations to ensure accuracy.

thiamethoxam – Cruiser 5 FS
Active ingredient imidacloprid
Trade name Cruiser 5 FS
Rate (product) 16.7 mL per 80,000 kernels

Comments
For use in commercial seed treaters only. Do not graze or feed livestock on treated areas for 45 days after planting.

Soil-Applied at Planting Only

In-furrow application is safer to the applicator and non-target animals than T-band application.

tefluthrin – Force 3 G
Active ingredient tefluthrin
Trade name Force 3 G
Rate (product) 37.5 g per 100 m (328 ft) row

Comments
In-furrow only. Place directly in the seed furrow behind the planter disc openers.

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Related Links

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