192 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 May, 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- 
