Insect pests of strawberries

Strawberry beds are attacked with depressing regularity by insect pests, which not only damage plants, but can also destroy crops. There are a number of chemicals and folk remedies to combat them.

To reduce the risk of pests affecting strawberry beds, it is necessary to take preventive measures and regularly care for the plantings.

Insect pests of strawberries: general recommendations for plant protection

insect pests

Strawberries are processed in several stages: in the spring on the eve of flowering and in the fall after the end of the fruiting period. Chemicals are more effective than folk remedies. But due to their toxicity, their use is impossible during the growing season of strawberries.

Their use presupposes strict adherence to the rules that are mandatory on the packaging. Homemade methods are gentle and can therefore be used to treat strawberry bushes on the eve of fruiting.

As a rule, they contribute to soil disinfection. It is recommended to carry out preventive treatment of the beds in the evening or morning, when there is no longer exposure to direct sunlight. In addition, for watering and spraying, it is better to choose calm weather without precipitation.

There are several more important points that will make it possible to protect strawberries from damage caused by insect pests:

- it is better to buy seedlings from manufacturers who have earned trust and have been repeatedly tested;

- before planting seedlings in the ground, disinfection is necessary, as well as disinfection of the soil;

- it is necessary to observe the schedule and order of fertilization;

- It is better to remove the top layer of soil in which insects hibernate;

- avoid excessive soil moisture;

- timely trim the old foliage and antennae.

Adjacent pest-repelling crops will also protect the strawberry beds from attack. So, insect pests avoid settling near marigolds, onion and garlic plantings, and also avoid neighboring crops such as calendula, tansy and tobacco. Onions and garlic should be placed in strawberry beds at 0.3-0.5 m intervals.

Insect pest protection

insect pests

Strawberry weevil

A medium-sized bug (up to 3 mm), the weevil likes to winter in fallen leaves and, with the onset of spring, move to strawberry plantings so that females can lay eggs in the buds that have not yet opened.

The larvae that appeared in July begin to eat the leaves and are capable of destroying 50 or more inflorescences per strawberry. That is why the primary treatment must be carried out before flowering, then it must be repeated in July.

Suitable for processing drugs "Antonem-F", "Intra-vir", "Namabakt". At home, you can prepare an iodine solution (1 teaspoon per bucket of water) and use it to spray your strawberry beds.

During the ripening period of the berries, the bushes can be irrigated with a mustard solution (10 g of powder per bucket of water) or a solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 l of water). You can also dissolve 2 kg of ash from burning branches in a bucket of water.

Strawberry leaf beetle

The yellowish leaf beetle (up to 4 mm) is dangerous not only for strawberries and can harm any greenery. Its larvae are born at the time of flowering of strawberries and feed on its leaves, leaving characteristic numerous holes on them.

Another sign of the presence of a leaf beetle in the garden is the small size of the berries and the drying out of the foliage. Due to its rapid spread, the fight against this pest is difficult and requires repeated chemical treatment of plantings: twice before flowering and once after harvest.

At the same time, strawberry leaves are processed from below with "Karbofos", "Metaphos" or "Nurell D". Supporters of folk methods recommend sprinkling strawberry beds with tobacco crushed into dust in early spring. In addition, the risk of leaf beetle damage is significantly reduced as a result of weeding.

Chafer

The rather large May beetle can cause significant damage to the strawberry crop, especially at the larval stage. In the course of their long-term development, they eat up the nutrient layer of the soil and damage the root system of plants.

Therefore, the owners of the gardens, digging up the beds, as much as possible strive to collect as many larvae as possible. The pests remaining in the soil can be dealt with thanks to the use of the chemical compositions "Karate" and the already mentioned "Nurell D". Also "Aktara", "Zolon" and "Bazudin" are suitable for spraying the beds.

An effective home method is the infusion obtained as a result of 5-day soaking of onion peels in a bucket of water (1: 3 ratio). It is necessary to pour the same amount of water into the infusion, then they can water the strawberry beds.

Strawberry mite

Slow growth of strawberry bushes and wrinkled foliage will indicate the presence of the strawberry mite, a tiny white pest about 2 mm in length. The mite actively develops in a humid environment, absorbs plant sap and affects the buds that form towards the end of the summer period.

It penetrates into the soil through the seedlings, based on this, a 15-minute soaking of the seedling in water at a temperature of about 45 degrees will be a preventive measure. Treatment of strawberry beds from ticks must be carried out twice: before the appearance of the first leaves and at the end of the harvest.

For this, you can use cumulus or the drug "Karbofos". As a measure of additional protection, you can spray the plantings with the onion infusion described above, or similarly to the prepared infusion based on garlic or dandelion.

Spider mite

As you might guess from the name of the pest, its presence is evidenced by the presence of cobwebs on the plant. The small green insect prefers the lower leaves and feeds on plant sap, as a result of which the leaves die.

Dry soil is a favorable condition for the appearance of a tick, therefore it is important to observe the strawberry watering regime. Before proceeding with the treatment of the beds, the leaves affected by the mite should be removed.

Then it is recommended to spray the plantings with "Nurell D", "Omayt", "Ortus", in addition, it is recommended to use homemade infusions based on onion peels, garlic, tobacco, and hot pepper.

The natural enemy of the harmful mite is its predatory relative called phytoseiulus. Sharing him will help drive pests out of the beds.

Nematode

This insect, invisible to the eye (up to 1 mm), chooses the sinuses and buds of strawberries as a habitat. Deformed, darkened leaves, slow growth of bushes and a decrease in the number of berries signal its harmful activity.

Getting into the ground along with infected seedlings, nematodes take root firmly in a new place and can live in the soil for about 10 years. Unfortunately, the fight against nematodes is effective only at the larval stage: they can be destroyed with Fitoverm and methyl bromide.

It is also recommended to water the bushes with warm water in the spring as a preventive measure. It is impossible to cure a serious lesion; all that remains is to remove it from the garden and then burn the damaged bush.

Strawberry whitefly

This tiny (up to 1 mm) butterfly feeds on plant sap, leaving behind curled leaves covered with yellow spots and white sugar-like traces. Since this pest loves shade, transferring the planting to a sunny area can solve the problem of its spread.

Another preventive measure against whitefly is regular weeding and weeding. Chemical treatment involves spraying twice with "Nurell D", "Sharpey", "Karate" - on the eve of flowering and at the end of the harvest period.

Small beds can be protected with infusion of garlic and chamomile tea.

Bronzovka

The larvae of this beetle feed on the root systems of plants and the nutrient layer of the soil. Gnawed foliage and flowers will indicate their invasion. Digging up the soil will remove some of the larvae and adults.

Chemical processing of strawberries from bronzing is complicated by the fact that it affects plants both during flowering and during ripening of fruits. The solution is to use the drug "Calypso", the use of which is permissible at any stage of development of strawberry bushes.

Medvedka

The bear in adulthood is a rather frightening black beetle (up to 6 cm). Its larvae can feed on the strawberry root system for 2 years, destroying it and destroying the plant.

The fight against the bear resembles a hunt for a predatory animal: it must be lured with the help of a glass jar with honey buried in the ground, or a mixture of grain and poison. To fight the bear, Bazudin, Zolon and Marshall are used.

Aphid

Despite their tiny size, the aphid is distinguished by a high spreading rate - its colony quickly covers the leaves, flowers and petioles of a strawberry bush and migrates to a neighboring plant.

The sticky mark they leave, along with the deformation and yellowness of the leaves and the oppression of the buds, serves as proof of their attack. With the help of the repeatedly mentioned "Zolona", "Nurella D" and "Sharpei", the beds are sprayed twice a season - on the eve of the opening of the buds and after the end of the harvest.

Homemade methods such as soapy water, tobacco water, and pepper infusion are also considered effective methods for controlling aphids.

Tobacco thrips

The appearance of tiny tobacco thrips is not difficult to notice from the modified falling leaves. This pest prefers the lower leaves of strawberries for food.

Before the beginning of the flowering period, the beds are recommended to be treated with "Karate", "Nurell D", "Zolon", and soap solution and infusion of dandelions are also suitable for spraying. To prepare it, you need to fill the container 1/3 with flowers and herbs, and then fill it with water and leave for 4 days. A small amount of ash can be added before use.

Slug

Slugs activate on cool, humid nights by feeding on berries and strawberry foliage. You can scare them away by mulching the beds with sawdust, framing the area with strawberries with a shallow ditch filled with wood ash, tobacco, pepper or lime. Also, potash or phosphorus fertilizers are used to combat slugs.

Insect pests photos

conclusions

The choice of methods of protection against harmful insects depends on their variety and the moment of detection of harmful insects. It should be remembered about the inadmissibility of the use of potent drugs during the growing season.

Preventive measures with regular weeding will help reduce the risk of pest infestation on strawberries.