Wireworm is the name given to the hard-skinned larvae (young) of click beetles. Wireworms received their name because they look somewhat like a piece of wire. They usually live in the soil or in decaying wood for two or three years. They often do great damage to crops by eating the roots of plants. Wireworms appear yellowish or brownish in color and measure from 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6 to 13 millimeters) long. They have three pairs of legs. Farmers sometimes rotate their crops or apply insecticides to the soil to help reduce the number of wireworms. See also Click beetle.
