Wireworms are the larvae of the click beetle. The worm is light yellowish-brown to dark brown in color with three pairs of legs and a hard-shelled segmented body. They attack the stems and root systems of plants, sometimes tunneling their way through the stem to above ground level. Most of its destruction however takes place below the soil level. The tubers of potato plants and turnips are greatly affected, where wireworms will riddle the tubers with their tunnels.
Since the wireworm takes three to four years to mature into a click beetle you may have to deal with the problem for quite a while.
The organic approach is to be sure to till the ground very deep, as to destroy as many worms and beetles as possible. Also, a trap can be set by cutting a potato half in two and placing it just under the soil. Every couple of days check to see if anyone is at home and if so destroy the worm.
