Wireworms

Wireworms are the slender, hard-bodied, shiny yellow-to-orange larvae of click beetles (family Elateridae), found in the soil and root zone; only the larvae damage turf, while the adult click beetles are harmless. They are confirmed by digging in the root zone of thinning patches and sifting soil for the tough, wire-like larvae, which are slow-moving and segmented.

Irregular patches of yellowing, stunted, and thinning turf with weakened root systems as larvae chew on roots and crowns; affected areas tolerate drought poorly and are more prone to secondary disease, and recovery is slow because the underground larvae remain active across multiple seasons.

Wireworms have a notably long larval stage, persisting in the soil for up to three to four years depending on species. Adults and larvae overwinter in the soil and become active from early-to-mid spring through late summer; females lay eggs near plant bases in spring, eggs hatch in about two to four weeks, and the larvae feed underground on roots for years before pupating and emerging as adults.

Damage is a soil-moisture- and season-driven process: larvae feed on roots and crowns from spring through summer, producing scattered weak, thin areas that are more vulnerable to drought and disease. Because larvae are long-lived, infestations can persist for several years in the same soil.