Wireworms

Samples of sweet potatoes from southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore have shown feeding damage from either wireworms or white grubs. Wireworms bore shallow holes into the surface of sweet potato roots. Multiple species of wireworm can attack sweet potato.

Potato production in Maryland continues to grow and has more than doubled in the last 5 years, while in surrounding states it has declined. About 50% of the potatoes harvested in Maryland are for the fresh market while the other half goes for processing. Because of its value growers frequently apply pesticides too often in order to protect their investment. This often leads to the development of insect resistance, environmental contamination, worker and food safety concerns and poor management of pests.

IPM Threshold Guide for Agronomic Field Crops