Content
Pests of garden strawberries cause irreparable harm to the bushes themselves and negatively affect their fruiting. To combat insects, chemical and folk remedies are used. Increased attention is paid to plant care and preventive measures.
Strawberry processing stages
To prevent the spread of pests, several treatment steps are required:
- spring - before strawberries begin to bloom;
- autumn - after harvest.
Chemical agents are the most effective against insect pests of strawberries. However, most of them are not allowed to be used during the growing season of plants. The drugs are used strictly in accordance with the instructions.
Folk remedies have a more gentle effect on strawberries and are used to disinfect soil and soil.
Treatment of plantings is carried out by watering or spraying. To carry out the procedure, choose a morning or evening period when there is no wind, rain or direct sunlight.
The following methods will help in the question of how to protect strawberries from insects:
- purchase seedlings from trusted producers;
- disinfect the soil and seedlings before planting in a permanent place;
- apply fertilizers in a timely manner;
- remove the top layer of soil where most insects spend the winter;
- do not allow the soil to become waterlogged;
- trim the tendrils and old leaves.
What to plant next to strawberries to repel insects? Pests avoid marigolds, calendula, borage, tansy, and tobacco. Onions and garlic are planted in the garden bed every 30 cm.
Strawberry pests
Garden pests live in the soil or on strawberry bushes. These insects spread illnesses, feed on the roots and leaves of plants, and some of them prefer to eat fruits. Photos of strawberry pests and their control are given below.
Weevil
The strawberry weevil is a small beetle no more than 3 mm long. The insect spends the winter in the ground under fallen leaves. In the spring, the female weevil lays eggs in strawberry buds, which causes them to fall off.
Weevil larvae appear in July and eat plant leaves. On strawberries, the weevil can destroy more than 50 inflorescences.
The procedure is carried out using special drugs - “Intra-vir”, “Namabakt” and “Antonem-F”.
A folk remedy for pests is iodine solution. It is taken in the amount of 1 tsp. and dissolve in one bucket of water.
During the formation of berries, treat the plantings against weevils with the following means:
- 10 g mustard powder per bucket of water;
- 2 kg of wood ash per bucket of water;
- solution of potassium permanganate (5 g) per 10 liters of water.
Strawberry leaf beetle
A small bug up to 4 mm long, yellowish in color, eats strawberry leavesHowever, it also prefers other greenery on the site. The beetle larvae appear during the period when the strawberry tree begins to bloom.
The lesion can be identified by the many holes on the leaves, dried foliage and small berries. Pest control is complicated by its rapid spread.
When using chemicals strawberry pest control performed twice before flowering begins. Additionally, the procedure is performed after harvesting.
To prevent the spread of the leaf beetle, it is necessary to carry out weeding in a timely manner. weed on the beds. In early spring, strawberries can be sprinkled with tobacco dust.
May beetle larvae
The cockchafer is a large brown insect. The greatest danger to plantings is its larvae, which eat humus and plant roots. Their development takes several years.
You can destroy strawberry pests with chemicals (“Nurell D”, “Karate”). For spraying, the preparations “Bazudin”, “Zolon”, “Aktara” are used.
The larvae can be collected by hand while digging up the beds. An effective remedy is an infusion of onion peels. To do this, fill the bucket a third with husks, add water and leave for 5 days. The resulting product must be diluted with water in equal proportions and poured over the strawberries.
Strawberry mite
This type of mite destroys flower buds that form at the end of summer. The insect feeds on plant sap and is a white insect up to 2 mm long.
The insect enters the soil along with infected seedlings. Therefore, before planting, strawberries are immersed in water at a temperature of about 45°C for 15 minutes.
Strawberry mite activity increases at high humidity. How to treat strawberries is chosen from chemical or folk remedies. Colloidal sulfur or Karbofos is used to treat plants.
The procedure is carried out before foliage begins to grow, then repeated after harvest. Additionally, the plants are sprayed with an infusion of onion peels, garlic or dandelion.
Spider mite
Spider mites can be identified by the large amount of cobwebs that envelop the plant. The pest looks like a small green insect that selects the lower leaves of strawberries. Ticks feed on plant sap, which causes foliage to die.
To control strawberry pests, phytosailus is planted in the garden. This is a type of mite that fights other insects.
The best option to get rid of spider mites is to use the drugs “Ortus”, “Omite”, “Nurell D”. It is also allowed to use an infusion of tobacco, onion, garlic, and hot pepper. Strawberries are treated against pests by spraying.
Nematodes
The nematode cannot be identified with the naked eye, since its size does not exceed 1 mm. The insect lives in the axils and buds of strawberries. Its activity leads to deformation and darkening of leaves, slow development of bushes and reduced yield.
Nematodes spread with infected seedlings and live in the soil for up to 10 years. To combat the strawberry pest, Fitoverm is used, which destroys its larvae. In case of extensive infection, they resort to treatment with methyl bromide.
There are no universal methods for dealing with nematodes. Bushes are dug up and burned to prevent the spread of pests.
Whitefly
The strawberry whitefly is a small butterfly up to 1 mm in size. Her wings are covered with waxy pollen. The insect does not tolerate exposure to the sun and prefers shady areas.
Whitefly larvae feed on plant sap. As a result of their influence, strawberry leaves curl and yellow spots appear on them. Whiteflies leave trails that resemble sugar.
Moving the beds to sunny areas will help avoid the spread of whiteflies on strawberries. It is also necessary to provide the plants with the necessary care (remove weeds, clear the plantings of leaves).
In small areas it is allowed to use traditional methods. This includes garlic infusion and a decoction of Dalmatian chamomile flowers.
Bronzovka
The bronze beetle is a black beetle with many hairs. Its larvae prefer plant roots and humus. Bronzeweed invasion is determined by eaten leaves and damaged peduncles.
Digging up the soil and eliminating larvae and adult insects will help get rid of the bronze. Since the pest appears during flowering and fruiting of strawberries, this makes chemical treatment of plantings difficult.
Medvedka
The mole cricket is a brown insect up to 6 cm long. Its larvae feed on plants for two years. The defeat of the mole cricket is determined by the destroyed root system and wilting of the strawberries.
Honey is used as bait, which is placed in a glass jar and buried in the ground. Among the chemicals chosen are “Zolon”, “Marshall”, “Bazudin”.
Aphid
Aphids are small pests that inhabit the petioles, leaves and flowers of strawberries. Insects live in colonies, multiply quickly and colonize neighboring plants.
Chemical preparations “Zolon”, “Shar Pei”, “Nurell D” work well against aphids. Treatment is performed before strawberries bloom, and then repeated after harvest. Using folk remedies, we fight this pest with a soap solution, tobacco decoction and tincture of hot pepper.
Tobacco thrips
Tobacco thrips has a yellow or brown color and narrow dark wings, and its length does not reach 1 mm. The insect feeds on the lower leaves of strawberries.
Thrips can be identified by deformation and leaf fall. Strawberry flower stalks suffer from insect infestation.
An additional procedure when deciding how to protect strawberries is spraying with a soap solution.Another folk remedy is dandelion infusion. To prepare it, the container is filled one third with these plants, and then filled with water. The infusion is left for 4 days. Before use, add a little ash to it.
Slugs
When temperatures drop and humidity is high, slugs appear in the area. They are most active at night when they eat leaves and strawberries.
A small ditch around the strawberry bushes, which is filled with tobacco, ground pepper, lime or wood ash, will help protect the plantings from slugs. The use of granular substances is allowed.
Slugs do not tolerate phosphorus or potassium fertilizers, which can be scattered along the rows of strawberries.
Conclusion
What means to use to control pests depends on when they are detected. Usually the damage caused by insects is noticeable in strawberry growing season. During this time, the use of strong chemicals is not allowed. Therefore, increased attention is paid to strawberry care and preventive treatment.
