Aaron Esser, a WSU Lincoln-Adams County Extension educator, researches economically viable solutions to problems experienced by wheat producers. It may come as a surprise then that most of Aaron’s time is spent with a pair of pantyhose.
Wireworm, the larval form of the common click beetle, poses multiple problems for wheat producers. The worms hollow out the wheat, prevent germination and, patch by patch, can destroy an otherwise productive field.
Controlling wireworm is expensive: insecticide costs can be staggering, according to Esser. He has been working on a solution that will make the pests less damaging to the industry.
Esser’s solution is a wireworm trap that has the potential to save producers thousands of dollars. The simple but effective innovation is made of a pair of pantyhose baited with a 50-50 wheat and corn mixture. Used to capture and count wireworm in a particular field, the trap will help growers tailor insecticide use to their particular situation.
The trap is being tested in a 20-acre on-farm trial focused on reducing pest populations and yield loss while improving the farmer’s bottom line.
“Using the results from the trial and extrapolating it to the whole field, there’s a nearly $30,000 difference in profitability,” Esser said.
“For some 30 years, an insecticide called Lindane was really effective for controlling wireworms and cheaper than current options. However, the EPA has removed this product from the market,” Esser said.
Other complications, such as misdiagnosed field damage, have caused farmers to throw up their hands with regards to wireworm presence.
“Most farmers tend to ignore wireworms,” Esser said. “I want to change that.”
He recently surveyed wheat producers to learn how many scouted for wireworm.
“Initially, 72 producers said they scout for wireworms and 135 said they don’t,” Esser said. After he gave a presentation on the pantyhose trap and the dangers of wireworm presence, producers changed their minds: “134 said they will scout for wireworms and 27 said they wouldn’t.”
