Killer worms
 

Anyone recognize this culprit?

What type of plant is it eating?

Nan

The plant is an Ultra Boy Tomato (stem which was below soil surface, planted last week)

Blankty blank wireworms!
Took out my watermelons last year. Been trying to control them since.
They so far haven't messed with my tomatoes.

Yep, it's a wireworm. I found this site:
[url]https://gardentherapy.ca/tomatoes-under-seig/[/url]

Nan

Many thanks for the quick reply. I really appreciate the link to the instructions for a trap.

You've made my day. Thank you again.

Wow that is something a tomato pest I have never had the joy of encountering. Ugly looking things.

Bill

Bill, I was thinking the exact same thing.

They mention using a spot where grass was growing before making the area into a garden bed. A friend put sod into her compost and infested her whole garden with wireworms. The potato trick worked well but took time.

[QUOTE=Nan_PA_6b;698697]Yep, it's a wireworm. I found this site:
[URL]https://gardentherapy.ca/tomatoes-under-seig/[/URL]

Nan[/QUOTE]

Thank you for that! I haven't had problems recently but I can remember a whole row of beautiful potato plants in newly created beds being taken out by these bastiges a good while ago. Now that my beds aren't "new" I haven't had the problem but I will remember this when "mission creep" has me digging up new ground for another bed!