Strawberry Insects, Bugs, and Other Pests

Just like us, strawberry plants can be bothered by unwanted pests. Unlike most of us, these delicious fruits were already here in the United States, when we arrived on our country's shores. Native Americans were enjoying them crushed in cornmeal and baking them in a sweet bread. Most of the pests that plague them have always been here on our soil too.

Therefore, this member of the rose family, the only fruit with its seeds on the outside, has its own set of insect woes. For successful crops, whether you plant strawberries in your garden or in containers -- becoming familiar with the most common insect pests, will help you be alert to what problem your plants may be experiencing, and enable you to know how to properly deal with them.

There is a quote by Miyamoto Musashi -- "You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect."

Nothing could be truer when dealing with plant insects and other pests, but first let's take a look at strawberry pests. You need to know your enemy's name and what they look like, before you can know their habits. Here are the sixteen insects you are most likely to encounter:

• Strawberry Crown Borer- These dark reddish brown short snout beetles can't fly, despite having wings. As their name suggests, they feed on strawberries by boring into the crown of the fruit where they deposit their eggs. They also feed on the leaves and roots.
• Strawberry Root Weevil - Arriving in late May or early June, these perennial pests stunt the plants and decrease the harvest of the fruits. Two separate generations of this pest will occur each year. The larvae does the most damage, as it damages the roots, whereas the adults just munch on the leaves.
• White Grubs- Just like the strawberry root weevil, these white grubs perennially emerge in late spring and early summer. Generally, they are a common pest only when you plant your crop in a previously wooded area where the soil has been infested with them. They are the immature scarab type beetle, such as a June beetle, Japanese beetle, or European chafer. These C-shaped whitish larvae, with brown capped heads, feed on the strawberry plant roots.

Foliage eating pests in strawberries are another set of enemies common to the strawberry plant. In this category, you will find:

• Strawberry Leafrollers- Strawberry leafrollers are early pest arrivals in April or May. The adult moths deposit opaque light green eggs on the lower half of strawberry leaves. As the larvae mature, they turn to a gray/brown color. As adults, these smallish moths are reddish brown, with distinctive yellow markings. They don't feed on the strawberry fruit directly, but the damage to the leaves can reduce crop harvest.
• Strawberry Root Worm - The adult is an oblong copper and streaked colored and the larvae are cream colored grubs. The adults do the damage in early spring and late summer as they place small holes in the leaves and fruit. The larvae feed on the roots, reducing strawberry fruit production.
• Strawberry Spider Mites - Yellow leaves in strawberry plants are your first clue that you have a spider mite infestation. They are so small that they look like tiny specks, if you can see them at all. Their true damage is that they suck the sap from the plant, thus weakening it. The size of a speck of pepper, they are very active during the strawberry plant's entire growing season.

Lots of insects love strawberry fruits as much as we do. It's important to understand that certain pests prefer to attack the strawberry plant during the flowering and fruiting stages of development.

It may be helpful to point out what should be obvious, about what we think of the strawberry fruit, isn't so obvious -- it is neither a fruit nor a berry. The strawberry is enlarged receptacle of the flower. I don't know about you, but the first time I heard that, I was a little surprised.

Flower and fruit destroyers of strawberries are:

• Strawberry Clipper (aka Strawberry weevil) - This black and reddish brown snout weevil, emerges early in March and April. It feeds upon the immature pollen found in the strawberry and then punctures the nearly mature blossom bud to deposit its egg. Of course, then the larvae feed upon the bud, resulting in no strawberry fruit.
• Tarnished Bug- Causing both injury to the foliage and the strawberry fruit, the tarnished bug additionally causes major damage to the flowers and buds. Little white flecks on the leaves of your strawberry plant, or the leaves curling up, should be your first clue to possible infestation of tarnished bugs.
• Strawberry Sap Beetle - These beetles feed on the strawberry fruit and contaminate the berries. They are tiny, oval shaped, and a mute brown or mottled brown in color. NOTE: These are the most common fruit damage found in U-Pick farms due to the over-ripening fields.
• Strawberry Snails and Slugs - The snails are simply mollusks, related to oysters and clams. They are tiny, but deadly to the strawberry plant and fruit. The slugs are also tiny, and lays its eggs in a slimy shaded mass in your strawberry plant. Your clue that have either of these problems is that you will see silvery trails winding around the plant or the affected area of the plant. You will not readily see them in the heat of the day.
• Eastern Flower Thrips- These tiny yellow/brown insects are attracted to the flowering part of the strawberry plant. They damage the plant during the bloom process and prevent the fruit from properly setting. The berries may fail to enlarge or ripen. It is important to note that the Western Flower Thrip does not damage the strawberry crop, unless it's population is too great. In the case of this Eastern Flower Thrip cousin, it eats the spider mites which can be a beneficial thing.

We all love strawberries, but so do other insect pests, here are five more enemies to watch out for:

• Adult and nymph aphids - These insects do not cause damage directly, but because of their honeydew secretions, sooty mold appears on the strawberry fruits, making them unattractive and unmarketable.
• Cyclamen mite - Found in the young tender leaves of strawberry plants and on the buds, are not ones you can see with your eyes without magnification. They prefer fall planted strawberries and second year strawberry plants. Your first inkling that something is wrong is when you notice stunted and crinkled leaves. Heavy infestation will cause the plant to not produce fruit.
• Strawberry White Flies - Reduce the production of strawberry fruit and because of their honeydew residue, also introduce sooty mold to the situation.
• Strawberry Vinegar Fly (aka Fruit Flies or Pomace Flies) - These small yellowish flies can be an end of the season problem for strawberry harvests or a several days in a row very hot weather problem.
• Lygus Bug - Another end of the season and second year pest to strawberry plants, these greenish/brown insects have reddish markings on their wings. They can cause odd shaped strawberry fruit and are manifested in straw colored seeds that are hollow on your fruit.

All of the above insect pests that have been mentioned in this hub, are by no means the only insect pests that have a taste for strawberries, just the most common ones you can expect to encounter.

The beginning home gardener often will come across the terms IPC (Integrated Pest Control) or IPM (Integrated Pest Management) -- what this means in simple terms, is making the use of the best combination of insect control methods. These can be:

• Biological
• Cultural
• Mechanical
• Physical, or
• Chemical

These controls in the right combination reduce insect pest populations, in the most cost effective and environmentally effective manner. Generally, this is the ideal that large and small strawberry commercial farms strive to achieve. It's also what those of us who are home gardening or container gardening should also aspire to achieve.

Lastly, the poor strawberry plant has other enemies that also can compete for a place at our desert table. Hand-in-hand with growing fruit crops, come dealing with wildlife who have the same taste buds as ourselves. Strawberries have two big enemies, birds and deer.

Fencing, netting and scarecrow techniques all can be somewhat effective, but it can be a real challenge to keep them out of your strawberry field. This is especially true of blackbirds.

Do it yourself pest control, can consist of first adhering to companion planting. Strawberries like to be planted near:

1. Bush beans
2. Borage
3. Lettuce
4. Nasturtium
5. Onions
6. Radish
7. Spinach

Additionally, sometimes it is just necessary to resort to use of natural organic and safer chemicals. Some popular botanical suggested ones for strawberry plants are:

1. Rotenone
2. Pyrethrin
3. Sabadilla

Getting rid of that unwanted guest in your strawberry patch, isn't always about reaching for a chemical spray in a bottle. There are plenty of green alternative solutions to contaminating the planet in trying to rid your strawberry plant pantry of pests.

Here are some organic pest control suggestions:

For strawberry spider mites:

1. Oil and lime sulphur spray
2. Hot Pepper Wax
3. Garlic Barrier
4. 100% Pure Neem Oil

For Strawberry Slugs and Snails:

1. Garlic Barrier
2. Sluggo
3. 100% Pure Neem Oil
4. The easiest way, is to get a bucket and hand pick them off your plants on a damp day, or in the evening. Then, either haul them far away, feed them to the fish in a pond, or ducks.
5. Another method is to bait then to shallow containers of beer and let them drown themselves.

For Strawberry Thrips:

1. Hot Pepper Wax
2. Garlic Barrier
3. 100% Pure Neem Oil

For Strawberry White Flies:

1. Hot Pepper Wax
2. Garlic Barrier
3. 100% Pure Neem Oil

Finally, remember, if you know your strawberry insect or wildlife enemy by name and habit, you'll always have a strategy for winning the war to recapture your strawberries garden.

"Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle .... They conquer by strategy."

If you need to call in reinforcements, call your nearest county Agricultural Extension Agency. They are a great source of free expert insect and disease identification, as well as help for solving the problem. They can also point you in the right direction in dealing with unwanted wildlife diners in your strawberry garden.