Wireworms

Contents

Identification

Life Cycle

Management

Fact Sheet (requires Acrobat Reader 3.x or above to read and print. Click below to download the free "Reader".)

Registered Insecticides

References

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Wireworm Larva	Wireworm Adult
	Larvae are hard, segmented, 8 to 12 mm long, and dark yellow or brown.  They have three pairs of legs and the last abdominal body segment is elongated and "keyhole-shaped".  Adults are slender, tan or nearly black, and from 8 to 12 mm long. Adults are commonly called click beetles. Larvae feed beneath the soil on roots and rhizomes.  The Great Basin wireworm causes serious losses in mint during early spring in the Columbia and Snake River Basins. Wireworms overwinter in the soil as larvae or adults. Adults emerge in early May and June, mate, and burrow into the soil to deposit eggs. Eggs hatch in three to four weeks. Larvae usually feed in the soil for two to five years before pupating.
Terminal Segment of Abdomen	View the Fact Sheet for More Information

This section contains information on identification of wireworms in peppermint.  The Fact Sheet contains specific information on identifcation and biology of this pest (requires Acrobat Reader).  Wireworm damage is most common in newly planted fields East of the Cascade Mountains.