What Eats Safflowers?

Wireworms

• Damage from wireworms happens early on in the safflower's growing season. Adult click beetles deposit eggs into the soil that hatch into wireworms. These tan, slender, jointed worms feed on seeds and emerging seedlings. Wireworms prefer grasses and grain crops; therefore, rotating your safflower crop with these crops increases the chances of wireworms eating the young safflower seedlings.

Cutworms

• Cutworms also attack young safflower seedlings. This larval form of several species of night-flying moths feed on plant stems at or below the soil's surface. A species of climbing cutworms climbs up the plants and feeds on foliage, buds and new shoots. When rotated with a winter cereal crop, a favorite of the cutworm, safflower becomes more vulnerable to cutworm feeding damage. Place aluminum foil or cardboard collars around the base of young seedlings and a couple of inches into the soil to protect against cutworms. Carbaryl, permethrin and cyfluthrin are residual insecticides effective against cutworms.

Lygus Bugs

• Adult lygus bugs insert their eggs into plant tissue. The eggs hatch into pale yellow or green nymphs that resemble aphids but move faster than aphids. The adult measures about 1/4 inch long and can be pale yellow to brown with dark brown, black and red markings or a pale green marked with bright green with a V-shaped or triangular mark in their backs. The nymphs feed on unopened buds resulted in deformed flowers. The adults feed on flowers and seeds.

Beneficial Bugs

• Safflower attracts honey bees and wild bees, which improve pollination and seed and fruit set for the safflower as well as neighboring plants. Lady beetles and lacewings, which are effective predators for several damaging pests, is also attracted to safflower. Use insecticides sparingly, protecting these beneficial pollinators and pest-control predators.