108 
PESTS OF GARDEN AND FIELD CROPS 
Fic. 69.—A common wire- 
worm, Melanotus communis 
Gyll. Original. 
their work does not attract attention. 
Fic. 70.— Larva and pupa of Melan- 
otus communis Gyll. Original. 
But when such ground is 
broken up and planted to potatoes or corn, the worms have com- 
Fic. 
71.— Work of wireworms in potato. Original. 
paratively little to feed 
on, and quickly become 
a pest. They are slow 
in development, re- 
quiring two years or 
more as larve, 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. 
