[robmccarthy]

Hi All,

This is my second post
(My first was a "hello").

My allotment is in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. I've had good crops of potatoes for the last 2 seasons, both earlies and mains.

However, each year I have had a pest who eat, put holes and lay their little critters within the holes of the potatoes.

The are little yellow/orange critters, about 5-9cm long and about 2-3mm wide. They have lots of legs, and don't grow much bigger than this

I'll try attach a photo, it also shows the holes they create.

Does anyone know what they are, and have any advice to keep them away?

The local chaps on the allotment mentioned they could be 'eel worms' but I cannot find anything online that matches.

Many thanks
Rob

[mumofstig]

They're probably wireworms 
https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/wireworms

[robmccarthy]

Thanks, I'll have a read.

One initial difference I see, is that my pests have legs (lots). However, thank you - I will read through.

[AndyRVTR]

Sound and look like millipede/centipede to me..

[mumofstig]

RHS says

Millipedes,------ are sometimes found feeding inside bulbs, potato tubers and on other root vegetables. In this situation, they are enlarging damage initiated by slugs or some other pest or disease. The relatively weak mouthparts of a millipede will make little impression on healthy undamaged bulbs, roots or tubers.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/millipedes
so maybe the trouble starts with our old enemy the slug 

[Blewit]

They're soil centipedes. The holes are most probably made by slugs and the centipedes are in there because they eat slugs.
Just as an asside - holes in spuds can be checked by poking in a piece of thin straw. If they go in straight they're most likely to be made by wireworm, holes caused by slugs tend to wander off at angles.