New to Forum - How do I eliminate meal worms from killing my sweetcorn

pizzie · « **on:** June 19, 2009, 18:36 »

Hi, very interesting website with lots of information.

I have sweetcorn that is growing but it gets to a point before there is any flowers when the leaves turn from green to purple and then die. When I pull them up there are little white worms or maggots in the roots. The internet said that these are meal worms. How do I eliminate them? I am new to growing veg and would like to do it without any chemicals if at all possible. Any advise on this or anything else when growing organically would be very much appreciated.

peapod · « **Reply #1 on:** June 19, 2009, 18:43 »

Hi Pizzie and welcome, Ive popped your question over here for the experts to look at

peapod · « **Reply #2 on:** June 19, 2009, 19:33 »

I had a google and came up with this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mealworm , is this them? I cant find any non-pesticide control for them that doesnt cost and arm and a leg(and is a US base as well).

Theres also a another bug - frit fly, could that be it?

SG6 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 19, 2009, 19:34 »

Suspect they are not meal worms, mealworms are brown and are a good frorm of wild bird food. They are sold with a scoop of bran that they feed on. They are a pest in granaries etc but not in the ground and on plant roots.

What variety of sweetcorn are they?
A quick look and it seems that quite a few are having a problem with Swift.

Suggestions are eel worms, but a picture would be needed.
Cannot see anything that points to anything specific.

mumofstig · « **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2009, 19:35 »

Where are you pizzie? Have had a quick google but sweetcorn seems to have very few pests so i'm a bit puzzled

What sort of soil are you growing them in?

peapod · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2009, 19:35 »

Forgot to add, they can be a pest indoors in your kitchen, but not outside, which leads me to think it isnt mealworm

birmancats · « **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2009, 19:39 »

Hello and welcome Pizzie. Is it possible to post a picture?

pizzie · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2009, 20:48 »

These are exactly what they look like but not as many probably about 4 or 5 in the roots when dug up. I asked the neighbour at the allotment and he said they could be mealworms or mill worms. When looking mealworms up on google images these are what I found and they look to be the same.

Not sure what the make of sweetcorn is my husband stupidly forgot to put any name on the plastic stick, it just states sweetcorn

SG6 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 19, 2009, 21:49 »

Well the picture looks like mealworms.
And you say that is what your culprits look like, so............

No answers from me I'm sorry to say.
Mealworms develop into a beetle.

Think that a long search on the web is due.

Salmo · « **Reply #9 on:** June 20, 2009, 00:30 »

From your description and the fact that they are eating the roots they are probably wireworms. They look very similar to your image of mealworms. Try google images for wireworm.

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New to Forum - How do I eliminate meal worms from killing my sweetcorn

pizzie

New to Forum - How do I eliminate meal worms from killing my sweetcorn

peapod

Re: New to Forum - How do I eliminate meal worms from killing my sweetcorn

peapod

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SG6

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mumofstig

Re: New to Forum - How do I eliminate meal worms from killing my sweetcorn

peapod

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birmancats

Re: New to Forum - How do I eliminate meal worms from killing my sweetcorn

pizzie

Re: New to Forum - How do I eliminate meal worms from killing my sweetcorn

SG6

Re: New to Forum - How do I eliminate meal worms from killing my sweetcorn

Salmo

Re: New to Forum - How do I eliminate meal worms from killing my sweetcorn

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