How to deal with caterpillars on strawberries

Strawberries are a fragrant and juicy berry that not only children, but also many pests love to eat. Most often it is affected by caterpillars. For voracious worms, the berries and leaves of the plant are a real boon. They are soft, nutritious and very rich. If you leave the problem unattended, you can lose a considerable amount of harvest. There are a lot of methods for dealing with caterpillars on strawberries. For this purpose, both chemical reagents and folk remedies are used. But to find a suitable option, you will have to try several first.

How to fight?

Chemical means

In the fight against slugs, the drugs Slugeater, Meta, Ulicide, Metaldehyde and the Swiss drug Thunderstorm (waiting period 20 days) have proven themselves well.
The method of their application is as follows: the product is scattered in furrows and between rows, on garden paths and around damaged plants at the rate of 15 g per 5 m2. “Thunderstorm” can also be used as a bait for pests: the drug is spread in 0.5 teaspoonfuls onto pieces of roofing material and left on the beds overnight; in the morning, the baits are inspected and pests are removed from them. The listed drugs belong to hazard class 3, that is, they are low toxic to humans and animals. However, when using them, you must strictly follow the included instructions. It is also not recommended to use chemicals during the ripening of berries and immediately before harvesting in order to avoid the accumulation of harmful substances in the fruits.

Folk remedies

To protect the ripening strawberry crop from pests without the use of chemicals, you can use the following folk recipes:

sprinkling the beds with dry mustard powder, wood ash or slaked lime - mustard and ash do not pose a danger to plants, they can be sprinkled under the bushes “by eye”, when adding slaked lime you need to adhere to the norm of no more than 20 g of product per 1 m2 of bed;
mulching beds with pine needles;
spraying plants with a solution of ammonia - the alcohol is mixed with water in a ratio of 1:6, the stems and leaves of strawberries are thoroughly treated with the resulting solution (table vinegar can be used in a similar way to repel shellfish);
treatment of plantings with infusion of hot pepper – 1 kg. crush the pepper and pour in 10 liters. water, the liquid is infused for 2 days, after which it is boiled for about an hour over low heat. After cooling the finished infusion, generously spray the strawberry bushes with it (the fresh vegetable can be replaced with hot pepper powder - it will take about 50 g);

covering the ridges with black plastic film - in the dark, slugs crawl under the film because it is humid and warm under it, and during the day, when the sun heats the dark material, the mollusks die under it from overheating, not finding a way out to the surface;
creating “barriers” from eggshells or nut shells - through such prickly barriers slugs cannot physically get close to the strawberry bushes;
treatment with mustard or garlic infusion. To prepare mustard infusion, dilute 50-100 g of dry mustard powder in 10 liters of cold water and let it brew for at least 2-3 hours. Garlic infusion is also not difficult to prepare. Squeeze 2 heads of garlic through a garlic press and boil for 3 minutes in 1 liter. water. Then dilute 2-3 tablespoons of concentrated extract into 10 liters. water and spray strawberry beds in the evening in dry weather;
Plant garlic, parsley, oregano, thyme, balsam, and lavender along the perimeter of the bed. Slugs avoid plants containing essential oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, so they will bypass the protective barrier, and with it the strawberries;
Use disposable shallow beer dishes or beer traps. Make several round holes in a plastic bottle, 3-5 cm in diameter. Pour some beer into the bottom of the bottle and bury the container so that the holes are at ground level. Shade the top of the bottle with a piece of fabric.

If it is not possible to use traditional methods, you can simply collect slugs by hand. This is a rather labor-intensive, but quite effective activity. To find mollusks in the area, you need to water the soil in several places with water in the evening and place pieces of slate, cardboard, iron or plastic on it. By morning, almost all the slugs from the immediate area will gather under these shelters. They will need to be collected and destroyed or simply taken away from the site.

How to treat strawberries with boric acid?

You can prepare a solution of boric acid as follows:

Dilute 2 g of powder in 1 liter of hot water (70–80 °C). ...
Mix well, add 9 liters of warm water (enough for about 30 bushes). ...
After cooling to 30–40 °C, spray the bushes.

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Prevention

The best way to fight any disease is to prevent it, so try to pay more attention to preventive measures:

clean the bed of plant debris twice a year: in the fall, after harvesting and in early spring - this will help avoid, or at least reduce the likelihood of infection of the bushes with fungal diseases; in the spring, spray young leaves with a 1-2% solution of Bordeaux mixture, or with the following preparations: Ridomil, Metaxil, Falcon, Zolon, Previkur;

dig up the rows several times a season and remove weeds along with the roots, because most microbes and insects live in weeds; observe crop rotation - specific diseases of strawberries and strawberries develop more often in old beds, so change the location of the strawberry plantation every four years, and remember that you can return strawberries or wild strawberries to their original place no earlier than after 6 years; when growing strawberries in greenhouses, it is necessary to strictly monitor the level of temperature and humidity, since any sudden changes can provoke the development of diseases; when planting a new bed, pay attention to disinfecting the soil - it should be well watered with a solution of potassium permanganate or boiling water; to treat the roots before planting seedlings, use stimulating biological solutions, they not only accelerate the survival of plants, but also kill harmful microorganisms - for berry crops, ash solution and aloe juice are considered the most useful and natural; purchase seedlings only from trusted nurseries or grow them yourself; do not plant a berry plantation next to raspberries, since strawberry diseases and pests are very similar.

But also don’t forget about plants and insects that can benefit strawberries. For example, plants such as lupine, garlic, and onions are natural insecticides, and many pests avoid them. Attract fireman beetles and ground beetles to the garden bed; they are real garden nurses, since their main food is harmful insects and their larvae.

Diseases that cause leaf perforation

The appearance of holes on strawberry leaves can also be a symptom of one of the fungal diseases that have a common name - spotting. In addition, the disease has other characteristic manifestations.

Anthracnose (black spot)

The disease is considered insidious due to the fact that it has a long incubation period and does not manifest itself for a long time. At the same time, the mycelium is already carrying out its destructive activities, affecting all parts of the plant.

The initial sign of the disease is the appearance of dark spots on the leaves that resemble burns. A little later, the damaged tissue dries out and crumbles. Strawberry leaves become holey.

Damp, hot weather favors the development of the disease. Spores are easily carried by wind, drops of water, and can get from one plant to another through contaminated equipment.

Since the disease is often detected in an advanced stage, folk remedies are ineffective in its treatment. Bushes with signs of severe infestation are recommended to be removed and burned.

The remaining plants are sprayed with copper oxychloride and other fungicidal preparations:

The treatment is carried out three times before flowering begins. After the buds appear, the use of chemicals is not recommended. If signs of the disease persist at later stages of the growing season, it is better to mow the leaves after harvesting. Infected plant residues are burned.

Major diseases

Like any berry crop, strawberries are often exposed to the influence of parasitic microorganisms, leading to the development of putrefactive processes and damage not only to the berries, but also to the plants themselves.

Gray rot

The most unpleasant fungal disease that can destroy most of the crop. Occurs in conditions of high humidity (frequent rains, excessive watering in the absence of mulch). It appears as fast-growing light brown or grayish spots with a moist fluffy surface on the fruit. In advanced cases, it spreads to the leaves and stalks, which can result in the death of the entire bush.

Powdery mildew

A fungal disease that develops from high humidity. It appears as a light powdery coating on any part of the bush, but more often on the leaves, as a result of which they curl and lose color. The development of the disease before or during flowering leads to disruption of pollination, and the resulting ovaries acquire a characteristic mushroom coating and smell.

Leaf spot (brown)

The disease often develops after harvest, and therefore many gardeners underestimate its danger. Meanwhile, dark spots with a light center on the leaf blades lead to drying out and death of the leaves at the moment when the plants form fruit buds for the future harvest.

White spot

It appears as brown or light dotted spots spreading towards the center, as a result of which the middle of the leaf blade falls out. If the bush is severely damaged, the disease spreads to the petioles and peduncles, which leads to the drying out of flowers and formed ovaries.

Verticillium wilt

At the very beginning, the disease manifests itself as small dark spots on the lower leaves, after which the lower tier completely dries out, and then the entire bush.

In dry sandy soil, plants can die within a week, in more fertile soil - within 1-1.5 months. Not only diseases, but also harmful insects can significantly ruin the strawberry harvest.

Strawberry or strawberry mite

The most common and dangerous insect for berry crops, damaging leaves and sucking juice from them. It overwinters in the soil at the base of the petioles and, with the arrival of warmer weather, begins to lay eggs on the still-blooming leaves. The leaf blades grow wrinkled and sticky, and the berries are small. During the season, the pest is capable of breeding 4-5 generations. If you don’t fight it, you can lose not only the crop, but the entire plantation.

Spider mite

Its presence is evidenced by a thin sticky web with which the pest envelops strawberry leaves. With severe infection, the leaves turn yellow and dry out, which leads to the death of the entire bush.

Raspberry-strawberry weevil

Another strawberry pest that spoils not only the green part of the bush, but also ripe fruits. A small (3-4 mm) gray-black beetle overwinters in the garden bed, and with the arrival of spring it crawls to the surface and feeds on young leaves. When the buds appear, the females begin to lay one egg in them. Soon a larva emerges from the egg and eats the strawberries, both ripe and still green, resulting in the entire crop being spoiled.

Strawberry nematode

This is a microscopic worm that lives at the roots and on the surface of plants. First, it damages the root part and stems, which is why the bushes begin to develop poorly, and the leaves, cuttings and even the ovaries are deformed.

Fireman Beetle

The beetle received its original name due to its characteristic red color with black stripes. It cannot even be called a pest, since it itself destroys pests: aphids, caterpillars, larvae of other beetles, thereby benefiting gardeners. But when there are a lot of these beetles in the garden, they begin to eat strawberry leaves and flowers, so their population needs to be controlled.

Red, juicy fruits can attract birds, which can not only peck at the fruits, but also damage the plants.

A few words about the main pests

Before looking for methods to combat caterpillars on strawberries, you should try to determine what kind of pest attacked it. This will significantly reduce the search for the right product and increase the effectiveness of the fight.

Swamp owl. This is a small hairy butterfly that lays its eggs on the underside of the leaf blade. The emerging caterpillars eat flowers, shoots, leaves, fruits, and ovaries. They can also take root near the root collar. The larvae make passages there, and the plant begins to quickly wither.
Strawberry leaf roller. This is an ordinary nocturnal butterfly, but it is not itself that causes harm, but its caterpillars. They begin their harmful activities under the leaf at the base of the midrib. Having gotten a little stronger, they switch to the entire sheet. You can notice their appearance by the fact that the strawberry leaves will look like a sieve; they will all be riddled with small holes. Black caterpillars live and reproduce on strawberries throughout the summer.
If caterpillars appear on leaves that have a rich green tint, then we are talking about an attack by sawfly larvae. This is a very insidious insect that can quickly destroy crops. A characteristic feature of this pest is that they begin to gnaw the leaf along the edge and only gradually reach the midrib.
Slugs. These are very large caterpillars that require special climatic conditions to appear. They appear only in the absence of heat and high humidity. Slugs eat berries and eat leaves.
Strawberry whitefly. A very miniature butterfly, no more than 1mm in length. They eat leaves, drink juice and attack ripe fruits. The larvae also eat leaves. As a result, the strawberry leaves dry out, curl, and fungus appears on them.
Strawberry nematode. These are thin and transparent long worms that actively parasitize ripe fruits. They cause significant damage to the crop. The active phase of reproduction occurs precisely during the period of flowering and ripening of strawberries.

Caterpillars on strawberries
The fight against caterpillars on strawberries involves identifying the type of pest, selecting a product, treating the plants and regular prevention.

Bugs on strawberries

In addition to the leaf beetle described above, strawberries attract snow beetles, hairy bronze beetles, and weevils. May beetle larvae also cause damage.

Bronzovka shaggy

Black beetle with white or yellowish spots. The lower part of the body is densely covered with hairs. Adults cause harm by eating flowers. The peak of activity coincides with the flowering of garden strawberries, which greatly complicates the fight against hairy pests.

Weevils

Nettle weevils are green bugs with a head characteristic of these insects. They gnaw off the edges of the leaf plate. If the spruce leaf is a sieve, then strawberry-raspberry weevils - brown bugs - tried. In addition to the leaves, the stalks are gnawed. In mid-summer, the larvae of strawberry weevils begin to spoil the root system, which leads to the death of young bushes.

At the peak of pest activity, strawberries are treated with Zolon, Nurell, and Karate. A good result is obtained by transplantation and treatment with yarrow infusion.

Bugs on strawberries

Strigun beetle

Another black beetle. Mainly lives on virgin lands. It got its name for a reason. The insect literally cuts off shoots and leaves, which it drags into its burrow located underground. It easily copes with grapevines, so tender strawberry leaves are easy prey for it.

If there are few pests, the holes are watered with a mixture of water (2 l) and sunflower oil (100 ml). If there are too many beetles, insecticides are added to the soil during autumn plowing.

Chafer

The damage is caused by the larvae of cockchafers - thick, plump worms that spend most of their time in the soil. They actively gnaw strawberry roots, causing the plants to quickly wither. The stems lose turgor, the leaves turn yellow.

In the spring, the row spacing is watered with a solution of ammonia: 20 ml per 10 liters of water. Soil cultivation is carried out using the following means: Bazudin, Zemlin, Nemabakt, Antikhrushch.

Strawberry leaf beetle (Galerucella tenella)

Small brown bugs (3-4 mm) settle on the back side of the leaves and actively begin to make passages in them, gnawing out the pulp and core. They can form small colonies or settle on leaves alone. The female lays eggs on the underside of leaves or on the petiole. The larvae (yellow with a brown head) appear within two weeks and begin to eat the leaves.

If there are a lot of leaf beetles, the strawberry bushes quickly wither, the leaves dry out, and fruiting stops. The beetles gnaw out the pulp of the leaves, leaving the film with which they are covered intact. By autumn it becomes thinner, and it becomes noticeable that through holes are made in the strawberry leaves.

Measures to combat strawberry leaf beetle:

Make sure that meadowsweet and cinquefoil do not grow around strawberry bushes. These plants are home to the leaf beetle and sometimes serve as an additional source of food for it.
Loosen the soil under the bushes after harvesting. This is necessary to destroy pupae that overwinter in the stuck together soil.
Follow crop rotation and plant strawberries in the same bed only after 3-4 years.
Tobacco dust is great for repelling beetles. But it can only be used in early spring, since the persistent smell of dust can worsen the taste of the berries.
As a last resort, use pesticides: Karbofos (75 g per 10 l of water), Karate (2 ml per 10 l). Spray before flowering begins.

Description of weevils

In another article, we covered the question of what a nematode is and how to fight it on strawberries. Another pest of strawberries is the weevil. The body itself is small - about three millimeters. It has a dark gray color.

The beetle parasitizes mainly on berries and causes enormous damage to the crop (up to forty percent). However, he is not interested in ripe fruits. The buds themselves are much more attractive to him; eggs are laid on them. Then the hatched larvae eat the flower and the bud dies.

Strange, but the weevil does not like ripe berries. But they may not even grow, because the beetle will damage the berry buds in advance. The larvae pose a danger not only to plants and crops, but even to trees. Beetles love to use coniferous plantings as food and home.

There are several types of weevils:

Elephants. They are distinguished by an elongated trunk. This is the most common type of parasite in Russia. Thanks to the water-repellent felt that covers the paws, they do not sink in water, and their body does not even get wet.
Large pine weevil. It is the worst enemy of the forest. Its body is brown, with orange stripes on it. Its length is almost one and a half centimeters. Loves to eat young trees. In areas with old trees it is almost impossible to find.
Pine weevil (brown color and yellow dots). The larvae can be found on the stump under the bark; they are not dangerous. The same cannot be said about adult parasites that damage coniferous trees and gnaw the bark. This can lead to the death of a fragile plant. The pine weevil is brown in color with yellow dots that form two longitudinal stripes.
Blue pine weevil (black and blue coloration). Makes holes in young trees to lay eggs there. Then larvae will appear from them.
Giraffe. Its neck is often longer than its body, hence the name.

Raspberry weevil (Anthonomus rubi)

If this pest appears on your site, then you should know that the threat of destruction hangs not only over strawberries, but also over raspberries and blackberries. Adult beetles are small (up to 2-3 mm in length) gray, dark or black. They cause the greatest damage to young leaves, buds and pedicels, and especially to early varieties of strawberries.

As a rule, a small number of berries, caused by the fact that the weevil has damaged the pedicels of the first buds, is mistaken by gardeners for a “crop failure.” After this, the females lay eggs in the buds, from which larvae hatch, devour the contents of the buds and pupate in them. After three weeks, their pupae emerge as adults and eat the leaves. They can be detected by long narrow passages in the leaves, and you can also see crawling insects.

Measures to combat the raspberry-strawberry weevil:

In the fall, dig up the rows, and in the spring, collect and burn all plant debris - this way you will deprive the beetles of wintering places. Try not to plant raspberries, blackberries and strawberries next to each other so that pests do not migrate from one crop to another.
At first, and if there are a small number of weevils, you can simply shake them off onto newspapers spread under the bushes and then destroy them. Do this early in the morning, when the beetles are quiet and not as active.
Use an infusion of wood ash against weevils (pour 3 kg of ash into 10 liters of boiling water, add 40 g of grated laundry soap, mix and let steep for 10-12 hours).
You can also use a decoction of wormwood (1 kg of dried grass, pour 4 liters of water and boil for 10 minutes. Then strain the liquid, add the required amount of water to 10 liters and add 50 g of laundry soap).
As for chemical preparations, before flowering, use Iskra-M (5 ml per 5 liters of water), and after harvesting - Karbofos (60 g per 10 liters of water).

Chemical methods for protecting strawberries from caterpillars

Methods for controlling caterpillars on strawberries using special preparations should be based on the following principles:

Strict adherence to instructions for use.
Safety for humans.
Degree of plant damage.

The following medications will help get rid of caterpillars on strawberries:

Aktara. Intestinal insecticide. Available in powder form. The average cost is 250 rubles per 10 g. It is resistant to temperature fluctuations and dissolves well in water. After treatment, it retains its properties for a long time and is not washed off by precipitation.
Marshal. Can be purchased in the form of an emulsion. Getting rid of caterpillars occurs due to the presence of acaricidal properties. You can spray the plants and apply insecticide to the soil. It specializes in the control of the Colorado potato beetle, but is often used against pests and many other crops. 65 rubles for 5 g.
Zolon. Broad-spectrum insecticide. Belongs to the group of intestinal and contact action. Used during the strawberry growing season. The dosage depends on the type of plant. Retains its properties even when the ambient temperature drops to 10 degrees. Price 20 rubles per 10 ml.
Nurell. The active ingredients are cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos. Available in the form of a concentrated emulsion. It has an almost immediate effect. Effective at temperatures up to +8 degrees Celsius. 1 liter costs 2000 rubles.
Omite. The acclimation product provides relief from pests of fruit, berry and vegetable crops. Available in the form of a concentrated emulsion, which should be diluted in the required amount of water. Not active against eggs. Cost from 20 rubles.
Karbofos. Helps fight leaf rollers on strawberries and many other caterpillars. Inexpensive, effective. Available in powder form. Requires dilution in water. To get rid of pests, strawberry leaves should be treated from the inside. 40 rubles per package.

Also, when choosing a product to treat against caterpillars on wild strawberries, you can use Karate, Actellik, Iskra, Zemlin, Pochin.

Pesticides to control caterpillars

Possible problems when growing strawberries

Strawberry diseases and pest damage manifest themselves in a variety of ways. The same symptom may indicate completely different problems. The first warning sign is a change in the appearance of the plants. Sometimes this is due to certain errors in care, and the situation normalizes when they are corrected. But there may be other reasons. Most common symptoms:

Shrinking drying berries. Most often this is due to extreme heat and prolonged lack of precipitation. Strawberries are a moisture-loving crop; proper watering is very important.
Lack of fruit. This may indicate that the variety belongs to the “weed” category; fruit ovaries on such bushes are absent in principle (they do not bloom at all or form only barren flowers). Other possible reasons are old or, conversely, new plants, fertilizer deficiency, freezing of bushes (especially non-winter-hardy varieties). If the ovaries appear, but dry out and fall off, the most likely cause is the appearance of a weevil.
Low yield, small berries. Most likely, this is due to problems with pollination, especially if the strawberries are grown in a greenhouse. Bees and bumblebees are not very active in cool, damp weather.
Yellowing leaves. There are many reasons for this. The most common are planting plants in direct sunlight (they burn the leaves), an overly acidic substrate, moisture deficiency, lack of nutrients - magnesium (the leaves become covered with small yellowish spots), nitrogen (they become lemon-yellow), iron (they turn yellow between the veins) . This may also be due to the appearance of insects that feed on plant juices - aphids, spider mites, weevils.
Reddening leaves. Towards the end of summer and autumn this is natural. During the growing season, such an unnatural shade can be caused by a potassium deficiency or excessive density of plantings.
Drying leaves. Most often, the cause is various fungal diseases (any spots, late blight) or the appearance of pests (whitefly, strawberry leaf beetle). In extreme heat, the leaves dry out due to lack of moisture.
Curling young leaves. This symptom is typical if the plantings are attacked by the strawberry mite.
Deformed fruits. The main reason is boron deficiency. This may also be due to the fact that the plants were hit by return spring frosts during flowering - because of them, the receptacle suffers.

Photo gallery: symptoms characteristic of common diseases and pests typical of strawberries

Most often, the pulp of strawberries dries out in extreme heat.

The so-called weedy varieties of strawberries bloom, but do not bear fruit, forming barren flowers

Shrinking of strawberries is most often associated with insufficiently active pollination

Yellowness of strawberry leaves is a symptom characteristic of many problems.

Redness of strawberry leaves during the growing season is often caused by potassium deficiency

Strawberry leaves often dry out when various fungal diseases reach the final stage of development.

Curling leaves are a symptom indicating the appearance on strawberries of one of the most dangerous pests for them - the strawberry mite.

The unnatural shape of strawberries for the variety is most often caused by a lack of boron in the soil

Folk remedies

Using folk methods to combat strawberry and strawberry caterpillars is not only safe, but also effective. Such methods will always come to the rescue when the pest attack has reached its peak, and there is no opportunity to use a chemical. Also, after using folk remedies, you don’t have to worry that chemicals will enter the human body. Another advantage of these methods is their versatility. The same products can be used to treat cabbage, strawberries, currants and raspberries.

Traditional methods of fighting caterpillars

How to deal with green caterpillars on strawberries, as well as other pests without using chemicals:

Infusion of wormwood. A very good remedy that helps solve not only the problem with strawberry bushes, but also many other crops. To do this, fill the bucket halfway with wormwood grass and fill the rest with water. Leave in a warm place for at least a day. Spray the affected plants with the resulting liquid.
Field chamomile. Collect and dry flowers. Grind and prepare raw materials. Take 100 g of dried chamomile for 1 liter of water. Place in a dark place for 24 hours. After this, you can process the beds with strawberries.
Ash. Its caterpillars are afraid and will not even come close. Scatter under the bushes and leave.
Soap-ash solution. This combination will not only help get rid of pests on the leaves, but also strengthen the plants. Add 200 g of ash and a piece of laundry soap to a bucket of water. Stir until completely dissolved and spray the crops.
Needles. It itself will become an obstacle for the caterpillars. They won't be able to get across to it. Place the needles on the soil near the strawberry roots. This method is not suitable for those pests that appear directly on the leaves.
Tobacco dust. A safe method that can also be used during the strawberry flowering period.
Tansy infusion. This specific plant helps fight many garden and garden pests. You can buy dried flowers at the pharmacy. Pour 100 g of herb into 1 liter of water and boil for 20 minutes. After this, cool and strain. Pour the prepared solution into a bucket of water and treat the area.

As a preventive measure, you should adhere to the following rules:

Plant only healthy seedlings.
Maintain crop rotation.
Strawberries should not be planted next to plants that are affected by the same pests.

Thus, caterpillars on strawberries are a rare phenomenon, but can cause a lot of trouble. And if the leaves of the crop began to wither, holes appeared on them and any bugs or caterpillars were found, measures should be taken immediately to combat them.

Pests damaging strawberry leaves

Strawberries have their own specific pests that can cause serious damage to their leaves. In the initial stages of infection, you can fight insects with folk remedies; in more advanced cases, industrial insecticides are used.

Strawberry leaf beetle

The strawberry leaf beetle is often the culprit for holes appearing on strawberry leaves. The pest looks like a brown bug about 4 mm in size. At first, the leaf beetle gnaws small holes and then completely destroys the leaf.

In addition to its gluttony, the beetle is also distinguished by its fertility. In a month, the female is capable of laying up to 200 eggs, hiding the clutches on the underside of the leaves. After 2 weeks, no less voracious larvae are born, which also feed on leaf tissue.

In nature, the number of leaf beetles is controlled by ground beetles and bugs. On strawberry plantations, the parasite is capable of multiplying en masse, resulting in the threat of losing all plantings.

You can fight the pest by treating strawberry bushes with herbal infusions with the addition of soap. Garlic, wormwood, and dandelion are suitable for these purposes. Use 200–300 g of plant material per bucket of water. The mood should be prepared for 4–6 hours, after which it is filtered, 40 g of soap shavings are added and the bushes are sprayed, generously wetting the leaves.

Dry mustard can be used as a deterrent. It is poured into a gauze bag and sprayed onto strawberries, using 200 g per 1 square meter of planting.

The following insecticides destroy the strawberry leaf beetle:

During the fruiting period, it is recommended to use biological preparations:

You can first collect the larvae and adult beetles with your hands or wash off the insects with water from a hose.

Raspberry-strawberry weevil

In appearance, the raspberry-strawberry weevil is a small dark bug, no more than 3 mm in length. Its food is the leaves, buds and flowers of strawberries. Female pests overwinter in young leaves rolled up into tubes. In the spring, weevils begin to reproduce, laying an egg in each bud. During the season, one female can damage up to 50 buds.

As soon as the larvae hatch, they immediately begin to feed on leaf tissue. You can notice the presence of the raspberry-strawberry weevil by looking at the leaves with a small hole. The holes have smooth edges, which makes it easy to distinguish bug damage from various diseases. Attentive gardeners may notice the presence of pests even earlier, when insects begin to eat away flower stalks and the tissue turns black.

If single holes appear, it is necessary to immediately treat the strawberries with a 3 percent Karbofos solution.

In advanced cases, plantings are treated with the following drugs:

If pests appear on strawberries during the fruiting period, biological preparations (Fitoverm, Cesar) or folk remedies, such as garlic solution, are used. At the initial stage of infection, tobacco dust can also help - dust strawberry leaves with it.

Fallen leaves and buds must be promptly removed from strawberry beds. In spring and autumn, the weevil is shaken off onto film and destroyed.

Nettle leaf weevil

The pest is turquoise-green in color and measures up to 12 mm in length. As a result of its attack, young strawberry leaves suffer - the weevil evenly gnaws them along the edges. Another sign of a pest attack is the falling of buds during flowering.

In addition to leaves, insect larvae also gnaw off roots. In addition to garden strawberries, the pest can attack raspberries.

Digging the soil during bud formation and after harvest helps eliminate insects.

To protect strawberries from the nettle leaf weevil during the formation of flower clusters, plants are sprayed with:

The drugs are used according to the instructions in dry, cloudy weather. After 7–10 days, the treatment will need to be repeated.

Since the weevil lays eggs in the upper layers of the soil, one of the important conditions for successful control of it is compliance with the rules of crop rotation. Strawberries should not be grown in one area for more than 4 years.

Spraying with insecticidal preparations

You can treat strawberry bushes with such preparations as Kemifos, Fufanon, Karbofos. You can find them at a garden store. The products are safe for the bush itself, but at the same time they effectively fight harmful insects, are environmentally friendly, and do not accumulate on the bush or in the ground. The treatment must be carried out twice. Last time no later than five days from the beginning of strawberry flowering. It is better to spray plants in the morning in dry, windless weather.

You can also use Inta-vir (1 tablet per 10 liters of water). Grind the tablet directly in the bag, pour it into a bucket and stir well. To spray, take a spray bottle.

Red ants, snails and centipedes

These pests prefer dark and damp places that are well treated with humus.

Control methods: it is recommended to treat the plantation with metaldehyde before flowering.

In order to defeat ants, this substance is scattered between the bushes.

Care for strawberries correctly, thanks to the right approach to pest control, you will get a tasty and juicy harvest of this wonderful strawberry.

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In order to competently deal with pests of garden strawberries (strawberries), you need to learn more about their lifestyle and “preferences”. Only in this case the chosen control measures will be effective.

Garden strawberries are considered a rather delicate crop and susceptible to attack by pests. Even timely care and treatment of plants from diseases and insects will not fully guarantee that you will receive a generous harvest. Warm weather, an abundance of greenery and fruits attract not only “strawberry saboteurs”, but also insects of other species that are not averse to feasting on young leaves and sweet berries. Read about the most dangerous of them in our article.

Remedies for caterpillars

Specialized stores offer many effective means of combating parasites. There are tablets, powders, ampoules, the contents of which simply need to be diluted in the required amount of water and treated with plants. One tablet or ampoule diluted in 10 liters of water may be enough to treat 50 m2 of plantings. The main thing is to carefully read the instructions and follow the deadlines. Manufacturers indicate exactly how many treatments should be carried out and in what time frame, the last one can be a month before harvest. If you spray the cabbage later, it will become harmful to humans and cannot be eaten.

There are drugs that repel pests, which are added to the fertilizer, introduced into the soil together with it, and it continues to work all season. Most gardeners try not to use chemicals; they believe that this makes the gardening process itself pointless, and vegetables are definitely unsuitable for food. There are a huge number of folk methods of fighting caterpillars, which suggest using exclusively natural remedies.

Strawberry nematode

Small worms up to 2 mm long can cause enormous damage to strawberries. Young leaves on the bushes curl and become deformed, the berries become small with an irregular shape of the fruit, the bushes themselves do not grow, become dwarf and brittle. The plant stops bearing fruit.

The nematode reproduces very quickly. It usually gets on plants with seedlings and can live in the soil for up to 10 years.

Prevention will help prevent the appearance of strawberry nematode. For planting, select only strong and healthy seedlings.

Before planting, treat the seedlings with hot water, soaking them in water for 10-15 minutes, then immediately leaving them in cold water for 15 minutes.

Do not forget to alternate the places where strawberries are planted; they should be planted in the old place only after 7 years. Plants affected by the nematode should be dug up and burned.

Treating the strawberry plot with methyl bromide. The drug Fitoverm is intended to combat nematodes.

Chafer

May beetle larvae are a dangerous pest of strawberries. The female beetle lays eggs in the ground to a depth of 40 cm. The larvae that hatch after a month first eat humus, then feed on plant roots. This larva lives 2-3 years in the ground and causes damage to plant roots.

Use of chemicals

Chemical insecticides are most effective in combating large colonies of crawling creatures. Gardeners who want to deal with pests should have the following chemicals in their arsenal:

Spark;
Karate;
Aktara;
Ram;
Fufanon;
Rovikurt;
Karbofos;
Lightning;
Fas.

The only significant drawback of most of these drugs is that the caterpillars quickly become accustomed to the active ingredients, so their use should be alternated.

Due to the excessive use of various substances, chemical compounds can enter berries and fruits, which can also increase the risk of intoxication.

Damage caused

Due to the gluttony of caterpillars, cutworms are classified as pests. First they eat the leaves of weeds, and then move on to cultivated plants. They gnaw through the stems and petioles at the root collar, and eat away the upper part of root crops.

Gnawing armyworms are polyphagous and harm more than 145 plant species. The caterpillars feed on grains and melons, potatoes, beets, corn, sunflowers, tomatoes, grapes, carrots, lettuce, etc. The pest overwinters in the soil as an adult caterpillar.

Chemicals to combat whitefly

Chemicals are used when there are too many pests or more gentle means have been tried and have not given the desired result. The whitefly on strawberries quickly gets used to and adapts to the pesticide used, so experts advise treating the plants several times in a row, alternating insecticides of different groups.

Here is a list of the most effective drugs used to kill whiteflies.

“Iskra”, “Decis”, “Caesar”, “Cypermethrin”. The main group of insecticides against winged pests are pyrethroids, which are characterized by contact-intestinal action. Entering the body through the oral cavity and the smallest pores, the toxic substance settles in the stomach and blocks nerve impulses, which leads to the death of the insect. Pyrethroids are effective and fast acting. They are non-toxic to humans and other warm-blooded organisms. The main disadvantage is the rapid adaptation of pests to the insecticide.

"Aktellik", "Fufanon". Organophosphorus preparations are toxic to bees and fish

They must be used with extreme caution.

"Aktara", "Mospilan", "Confidor". Systemic neurotoxic insecticides are effective against a number of pests and can be used for root treatment and spraying.

"Fitoverm", "Vertimek"

The drugs belong to the group of insectoacaricides and combine a wide spectrum of action with low tolerance to insects. They fight pests regardless of their location (on the front and back sides of the sheet).

"Rovikurt". The drug is available in the form of an oily liquid and is used when whiteflies appear in significant quantities.

To strengthen the plant's immunity and increase resistance to stress, treatment with insecticides against whiteflies can be combined with the use of growth stimulants. The drug “Bud” is perfect for these purposes.

When treating strawberry beds with chemicals, the following rules should be observed:

strictly adhere to the dosage indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging;
spray plants only in dry, windless weather;
change medications to prevent the pest from becoming accustomed to the chemical;
It is better to carry out the treatment early in the morning or in the evening, after sunset, since sunlight hitting the leaves with drops of a toxic substance will cause a serious burn;
Frequent and excessive use of pesticides leads to their accumulation in the soil, which makes eating berries collected from this area unsafe.

To get rid of adult whitefly and larvae, it will be enough to carry out four treatments with a break of 5 days. Moreover, each time the concentration of the chemical substance should be reduced. This is the only way to completely get rid of the parasite and obtain fruits that are harmless to human health.

What diseases affect strawberries?

Strawberries suffer not only from parasites and pests.

Lethargy

Strawberry bushes become lethargic if there is a lack of moisture. If, after abundant watering twice a day (morning and evening), the plant continues to rapidly wither, you should pay attention to the roots. Most likely, the plant is eaten by dangerous insects.

Rotting

The reason for this is rot caused by fungus. The fungus itself appears due to high humidity.

Drying

The most common reasons that bushes wither are fungal diseases:

Gray rot.
Spotting.

If the bush is affected, it must be burned. Timely attention to the problem can save strawberry bushes.

We recommend studying: building reliable beds for strawberries with your own hands

How to get rid of caterpillars in the garden using folk remedies

Some gardeners do not accept the use of chemicals in the country, believing that they reduce the quality and safety of the crop. There are traditional methods of fighting parasites especially for them.

Mechanical methods

Collecting butterfly larvae is one of the simplest and safest ways for humans to control pests. It is recommended to carry it out in the evening, when the main heat subsides and insects crawl out of their hiding places.

Also, an effective method of dealing with unwanted neighbors is the use of sticky catching belts, which any gardener can easily build. To do this, the tree trunk is wrapped in cling film, wax paper or other non-woven material, which is then covered with a thick layer of a special adhesive.

Hunting belt

Some gardeners set up traps on their plots in the form of containers with aromatic baits.

Fumigation

Fumigation of fruit and berry trees with smoke is a good effective means of combating caterpillars. Hot coals are placed in a metal vessel, which are generously sprinkled with resin and sulfur in a ratio of 1:2. Fumigation should be carried out in calm weather so that the smoke tightly envelops the crown of the plant.

Decoctions and infusions

Elderberry infusion. Most parasitic insects hate the smell of red elderberry. To prepare the product, pour 200 grams of chopped stems and leaves into 10 liters of boiling water. A day later, the infusion is filtered and the trees are sprayed before and after the vegetative state. To improve the fixation of the solution on the surface of the crown, laundry soap is added to it; A decoction of black henbane.
Black henbane helps no less effectively in pest control. The decoction is prepared from 2.5 kilograms of crushed plants filled with a small amount of water. The mixture is boiled for 30 minutes, then diluted with boiling water to a volume of 10 liters and brought to a boil again. The cooled broth is filtered through cheesecloth. If desired, you can also add soap to it, as in the previous case.
Red pepper also does a good job of killing colonies of crawling creatures. To prepare an infusion of red pepper, add water in a ratio of 1:10 and boil for an hour to an hour and a half. The finished infusion is stored at low temperatures, preferably in the refrigerator. For better fixation, laundry soap is also added to it;
Affected flowers and other herbaceous plants should be treated from time to time with a weak vinegar solution prepared in a ratio of 200 milliliters per 10 liters of liquid;
Onion and garlic. The essential oils of these plants have good properties. To prevent reptiles from creeping close to your beds, you can plant onions and garlic around the area;
Tobacco, or rather its infusion, is considered an excellent remedy for treating garden trees against various kinds of insects. For infusion, 100 grams of tobacco are stirred in 1 liter of liquid and left for a day. The prepared filtered solution is sprayed onto the trunks and crowns of trees. A small amount of soap improves the fixation of the substance on the surface;
Also effective in controlling pests are decoctions of chamomile, coriander, tomato tops, yarrow and other plants.

Slugs (Arion lusitanicus)

If these leisurely creatures look into your area, rest assured that they will not crawl past the strawberries. Slugs are especially active during periods of prolonged rain and at air temperatures of 15-17°C. If strawberries grow in the shade, or the plantings are dense, there is no need for better conditions for the appearance of slugs. Their length can reach 50 mm, and their color varies from light yellow to almost black.

Slug eggs are laid in damp clods of earth. The adult pest primarily feeds on berries that lie on the ground or hang down to it. They often also crawl onto the leaves and gnaw out rounded holes in the center, with the slug’s peak activity reaching its peak at dusk. They are true long-livers of the garden world; some individuals can live up to 4 years.

Measures to combat slugs:

Natural enemies of slugs are sun and heat. Therefore, plant strawberries in well-lit and uncrowded areas. Make life easier for pests - place boards, sheets of plywood or burlap between the rows of strawberries. During the day, slugs hide under such shelters, so mollusks can be easily detected and destroyed.
Sprinkle the spaces between the rows with pine needles or twigs - natural fertilizer will make it difficult for slugs to move, and it will be more difficult for them to reach the beds. You can sprinkle salt around the plants.
Plant plants such as thyme, sage, oregano, basil, and white clover next to the main strawberries. By the way, decoctions of these plants can be used to treat mulch (and not the strawberries themselves!), since it is saturated with the aroma of essential oils and repels slugs.
Water the plants with a weak solution of citric acid (25 g of powder per 10 liters of water) or 9% vinegar (25 ml per 10 liters of water). Do this once a week in the evening.
Use the powerful drug Thunderstorm - scatter metaldehyde granules over the soil surface, between rows, paths at the rate of 30 g per 10 sq.m. The bait is effective for 2 weeks, even if there has been heavy rain.

Not only people, but also numerous insects love to eat the sweet berry in the summer. First of all, pests are attracted to unkempt areas, where we ourselves unintentionally create suitable conditions for their existence. Therefore, keep the strawberry beds clean, do not thicken the plantings and regularly carry out the necessary agrotechnical measures. And then the “enemies” will avoid your strawberries.

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Strawberry mite (Tarsonemus fragariae)

These small insects cause a lot of trouble in spring and summer. And if ixodid ticks are carriers of dangerous diseases, then garden pests completely destroy plantings. In the process of development, the elusive mites acquired microscopic sizes (no more than 0.2 mm) and an inconspicuous color, which varies from translucent to yellow-brown.

It is very difficult to detect pests at the initial stage. Typically, the impact of mites can be noticed only in the second half of summer, when the leaves curl, acquire a yellowish waxy coating, wrinkle and die. The bushes become dwarf and lifeless, as mites literally suck all the juices out of the plant. Although ticks live everywhere and in regions with any climate, humid and warm zones in the north are more attractive to them than the arid and hot south. Average yield losses depending on the variety are 20-50%.

Measures to combat strawberry mites:

Do not allow plantings to become dense, get rid of weeds in a timely manner, and do not plant plants in the shade or in damp areas. Remove frozen and weak bushes - these are the first to be attacked by mites.
Use onion peel infusion or garlic extract against ticks. Dilute 200 g of onion peels in 10 liters of warm water, let the solution brew for 4-5 days and spray the plants with it. For the second recipe, use 200 g of chopped garlic, pour 10 liters of water over it. Mix thoroughly, strain and spray the plants with the resulting solution.
Give the seedlings a “temperature shock” - immerse them in water at a temperature of 45°C for 13-15 minutes, and immediately after that in cold water. Then lay out to dry in the shade for 1-2 hours. Plant the disinfected seedlings in a new bed where strawberries have not grown before.
Immediately after harvesting or before new leaves grow, spray the area with chloroethanol (15-30 ml per 10 liters of water - per 100 sq.m. area), Karate Zeon (5 ml per 10 liters of water - per 100 sq.m.). After harvesting, use a solution of Karbofos (3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water) at a temperature of at least 25°C. Water the plantings from a watering can, spending approximately 2 liters per 1 sq.m. and try to wet the bushes well. After watering, cover the beds with film for 2-3 hours.
It is better to dig up severely affected bushes and burn them along with the tendrils and rosettes.

Strawberry mite

This is the most dangerous pest that can destroy strawberries in a short time. The length of the tick is about 0.2 mm, the body shape is oblong-oval. Initially, the color of the parasite is white, after which it acquires a red color. Control methods: use only planting material that is not infested. Before planting it in the ground, be sure to trim it and heat it in hot water (about 45°C) for ten minutes. Then rinse the strawberries under cold running water. If infection has already occurred, treat the bushes with “Grey colloidal” or “Neoron”.