Wheat Ground Beetle
Fast-legged beetles sprinting through your wheat fields!
Physical characteristics
The wheat ground beetle (Zabrus tenebrioides) is a beetle 12-16 mm long. It has a dark brown to black body with a metallic sheen. The legs are strong and adapted for running and digging.
Biology and behavior
Adults are active at night. Larvae develop in the soil and feed on young wheat plants. They have one generation per year. They overwinter as adults or larvae in the soil. Adults emerge in June-July and feed on grains from the ears.
Harm
Larvae cause the most serious damage by feeding on the leaves and roots of young wheat plants in autumn and spring. Adults can damage ripening grains in the ears. In severe infestations, they can destroy entire sections of crops.
What you can do
Apply deep plowing after harvest to destroy larvae and pupae. Avoid planting wheat after wheat in heavily infested areas. Observe optimal sowing dates. Destroy weeds that can serve as alternative food.
Professional control
Our specialists offer a comprehensive approach to wheat ground beetle control. We monitor fields for early detection of infestations. We apply seed treatment with insecticides to protect young plants. If necessary, we perform soil or foliar treatments. We develop integrated pest management strategies tailored to the specific conditions of the farm. We offer consultations for optimizing agrotechnical measures for long-term control.