Killer worms

[RainCoast]

Anyone recognize this culprit?

[Nan_PA_6b]

What type of plant is it eating?

Nan

[RainCoast]

The plant is an Ultra Boy Tomato (stem which was below soil surface, planted last week)

[Rockandrollin]

Blankty blank wireworms!
Took out my watermelons last year. Been trying to control them since.
They so far haven't messed with my tomatoes.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Yep, it's a wireworm. I found this site:
https://gardentherapy.ca/tomatoes-under-seig/

Nan

[RainCoast]

Many thanks for the quick reply. I really appreciate the link to the instructions for a trap.

You've made my day. Thank you again.

[b54red]

Wow that is something a tomato pest I have never had the joy of encountering. Ugly looking things.

Bill

[AlittleSalt]

Bill, I was thinking the exact same thing.

[GrowingCoastal]

They mention using a spot where grass was growing before making the area into a garden bed. A friend put sod into her compost and infested her whole garden with wireworms. The potato trick worked well but took time.

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

Yep, it's a wireworm. I found this site:
https://gardentherapy.ca/tomatoes-under-seig/

Nan

Thank you for that! I haven't had problems recently but I can remember a whole row of beautiful potato plants in newly created beds being taken out by these bastiges a good while ago. Now that my beds aren't "new" I haven't had the problem but I will remember this when "mission creep" has me digging up new ground for another bed!