102 The Sugar-Beet in America 



The presence of this pest is usually indicated by the 

 dying of plants throughout the field. Examination of 

 the soil near the plants shows the soft-bodied white worm 

 curled up. It is from one inch to an inch and a quarter 

 in length, and has a brown head and an enlarged abdomen. 



Nothing added to the soil is practical in killing the 

 grub. Fall plowing, proper rotation of crops, and avoid- 

 ing the use of infected manure are all helpful in control- 

 ling the pest. Chickens and hogs are very fond of the 

 grub and will help to eradicate it. Care in handling 

 manure in which it develops may also help. 



Wireworms (Elateridae). 



The larvae of several species of "click beetles" or 

 "snapping beetles" are known as wireworms on account 

 of their tough and wiry appearance. These slender, 

 cylindrical worms vary from one-half inch to one inch 

 in length. They vary from a shiny yellow to a shiny yel- 

 lowish brown color, with their segments showing plainly. 

 They move about by means of three pairs of dark legs 

 close to the front of the body. 



"The life history of the injurious subterranean species 

 is in some respects similar to that of the white grubs, the 

 beetles being among the earliest spring arrivals, occur- 

 ring in April and ^Nlay, and flying rapidly in the heat of 

 the day. The eggs are generally deposited in moist places 

 grown up with grassy vegetation, weeds, or corn, and the 

 larvae upon hatching feed, like the white grubs, upon the 

 roots, developing slowly and requiring about the same 

 period for the completion of the life cycle — about two or 

 three years. Like the white grubs, the wireworms trans- 



