108 



PESTS OF GARDEN AND FIELD CROPS 



Fig. 69. — A common wire- 

 worm, Melanotus communis 

 Gyll. Original. 



Fig. 70. — Larva and pupa of Melan- 

 otus comynunis Gyll. Original. 



their work does not attract attention. But when such ground is 

 broken up and planted to potatoes or corn, the worms have com- 

 paratively little to feed 

 on, and quickly become 

 a pest. They are slow 

 in development, re- 

 quiring two years or 

 more as larvae, so that 

 there are many of them 

 remaining the follow- 

 ing year after sod, and 

 often many the second 

 year. 



Suitable crop rota- 

 tion, combined with 

 fall plowing and culti- 

 vation, is the only 

 means of handling 

 these pests. They do 

 not injure clover or 

 related plants, as a rule, and where fields are badly infested it is 

 wise to put one of the legumes into the rotation following sod. No 

 applications to the soil will kill the worms unless made so strong as 

 also to kill plant life. 



Fig. 71. — Work of wireworms in potato. Original. 



