Journal of Pest Science (2013) 86, 77-83

Robert S. Vernon and Willem G. van Herk (2013)
Physical exclusion of adult click beetles from wheat with an exclusion trench
Journal of Pest Science 86 (1), 77-83
Abstract: Click beetles, the adult stage of wireworms, will enter fields of their preferred hosts (i.e., grasses, pasture, and cereals) from various reservoir habitats, and lay eggs which give rise to wireworm problems in subsequent years. To prevent click beetles, Agriotes obscurus, from immigrating into fields, a portable trench barrier composed of an extruded, PVC plastic trough was evaluated in 2001 in Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada. Plots of wheat or bare ground that were surrounded by trenches had significantly lower numbers of males in pheromone traps and females in pitfall traps relative to non-trenched plots. Exclusion was more pronounced in the first part of the study (about 75 % reduction) than later in the study (30-42 %), likely due to gradual within plot emergence of overwintered beetles and/or flight activity. The potential for use of exclusion devices for click beetle control and future directions for research are discussed.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Robert S. Vernon, Willem G. van Herk

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Agriotes obscurus	Wheat (Triticum)	Canada (west)