Insecticide for Pinacate Beetles

The false wireworm is very similar in appearance to the wireworm.

The pinacate beetle is found west of the Mississippi River in the U.S. and is a member of the family eleodes. Eleodes is derived from the Greek word used to describe the shape and color of olives, and that is what beetles in this genus look like. Their larvae is the false wireworm, which can cause problems in some crops, especially wheat, and this is when they must be controlled with both cultural and chemical means.

Stinkbug

Pinacate beetles are also sometimes called stinkbugs due to the terrible musk they exude when threatened. They attempt a handstand and may either release a single drop of the musk or jet a spray of it that can reach as far as 20 inches. The musk does not wash off and can cause temporary blindness if it gets in the eyes. In areas where these bugs are too plentiful, such as your yard, control may be necessary.

Larvae

Actually the false wireworm, the beetle larvae, is what damages grain and vegetable crops. While most damage is confined to the post-harvest litter, serious infestations can damage new seedlings. Often destruction is limited to just a few plants or to a small area of an overall crop, and, at such times, crop rotation may be all that is needed to eliminate the pests. Cultural practices of cleaning up cropland after harvest by removing chaff, litter and stalks can eliminate the larvae by removing their food source so they do not survive the winter and plague the following year's crops.

Broad-spectrum Insecticide

Occasionally, an infestation becomes serious enough to threaten crop yields, and the wireworms need to be eliminated. Apply an organophosphate insecticide into the soil around the base of the affected plants for best control. Broad spectrum insecticides can, however, do more harm than good as they also kill off beneficial insects on cropland.

Targeted Treatment

To avoid upsetting the eco-balance of life by using a broad insecticide, also an option is to use insectide meant specifically for treating seed or to purchase seed that is already treated. When the worms feed on insecticide-laced seeds, it kills them without harming the insects that do not feed on the plants themselves.

References

• Desert USA; Pinacate Beetles; David B. Williams
• Kansas State University; False Wireworms; Philip E. Sloderbeck, et al.
• State Government Victoria: Gray False Wireworm and its Management in Seedling Canola

Resources

• Washington State University: False Wireworm
• Plants and Flowers: Blapstinus Coniontis Eleodes and Ulus spp Coleoptera Tenebrionidae
• Pima Community College: Pinacate Beetle