Are you facing some issues with strawberry plants? Are bugs making their way toward them? Here are some tips to help you how to get rid of strawberry bugs from plants.
Strawberries are enriched with antioxidants and do not have too many calories.
However, insects also share our love for strawberries, and the juicy and sweet fruit is often attacked by various creatures, from slugs to aphids.
It is easy to identify a big ripe red strawberry. However, when you observe closely, you may notice that there are tiny creatures roaming on the strawberry.
Finding the little bugs in your strawberries can undoubtedly make you lose your appetite.
Some Common Strawberry Plant Bugs
Here are some common bugs that attack strawberry plants. There Strawberry pests are commonly found in your garden.
1. Aphids
Aphids are commonly found as garden pests and are found on strawberry plants, too. They are small and soft-bodied.
The aphids place them under the leaves and stem and suck on the sap from them.
How to get rid of aphids on strawberry plants
- Water Spray: A strong spray of water can get rid of bugs in your plants. This is often the first step because it is safe and can work well.
2. Insecticidal Soap: You can make your own insecticidal soap by mixing a few drops of dish soap with water and putting it on the plants that need it. This solution breaks up the top shell of the aphids, which makes them lose water and die. Make sure to rinse the plants with clean water a few hours after applying the chemical to keep the plant from getting hurt.
3. Beneficial Insects: Putting in ladybirds or lacewings, which eat aphids naturally, can help control the number of aphids. You can buy these helpful insects at many plant centers or on the internet.
4. Neem Oil: This natural product stops aphids from reproducing, but it is safe to use on plants that people eat. It also helps get rid of other pests and diseases caused by fungi.
5. Diatomaceous Earth: this is a natural powder that you can sprinkle around your plants. It is made from tiny fossilized aquatic creatures. It won’t hurt people or pets, but it will kill aphids and other small insects.
6. Chilli Spray: Sprays made of garlic or chili can keep bugs away. Just crush or mix the garlic or chili with some water and put it on the plant’s leaves.
2. Meadow Spittlebug
This bug feeds on strawberries, too. It decreases the growth of the plants and also affects the size of the strawberries.
Spittlebugs are recognized easily by the trails of spittle or white and wet foam they leave behind.
While spittlebugs are not generally harmful, their white secretions make them a nuisance.
Spittlebugs are in the nymph stage, and they grow up to be froghoppers.
How to get rid of spittlebugs naturally, lets find out steps
- Examine your plants, and then when you spot the pests’ telltale spittle, spray them down with a powerful spray of water to dispose of them.
- Somewhere at the end of the growing season, remove old plant matter surrounding the plants. Within the garden debris, spittlebug eggs overwinter, so clearing the area will minimize the number of larvae that can hatch in the springtime.
- To stop adult bugs from depositing their eggs in the strawberries, cover lines of strawberries using hovering row coverings in the summer.
- To avoid infections, apply neem or insecticidal oil with a lemon base.
- Apply insecticidal detergent on plants.
3. Armyworm
Armyworms are destructive and cause holes in the leaves. If there are many armyworms on your strawberry plants, you will end up with skeletons of leaves.
These insects produce rapidly and leave a cluster of eggs on the leaves. They can produce 3-5 generations in one single year.
4. Thrips
The flowers of the strawberry plants can turn brow due to thrips. This pest attacks the plant’s stigma and flower and turns it brown.
Thrips are easily seen with the help of a magnifying glass. The adult thrips are found in the colors pale yellow to light brown.
5. Slugs
Slugs are attracted to strawberry plants, too.
They cause holes in the plant’s stems, leaves, and ripening fruits. If the slugs are in high numbers, it could lead to a lot of shredded leaves.
To get rid of these slugs, you can remove the weeds, trash, and debris so that the slugs would change their hiding places and go away.
5. Weevils (tiny brown bugs on strawberries)
These pests are in light brown to dark brown color. Weevils can cause closely bunched leaves and stunted growth of the plant.
Make sure that the strawberry bed does not have any weeds to prevent weevils.
You can get rid of these weevils following the method below.
- Plowing beneath old plants as early as you can help stop the spread of root beetles to fresh ones.
- At renovation, it is advised to use post-harvest foliar treatments to manage adult weevils before they deposit eggs.
- Growing professionals should keep an eye out for leaflet notching as a sign of mature emergence.
6. Strawberry Spider Mites
These are one of the most irritating pests that invade the strawberry plant Due to their tiny size, they can infest the plant in large numbers and be problematic.
The infestation of strawberry spider mites can even result in stippled, yellow, and bronzed leaves. These pests can also form a webbing on the leaves.
7. Loopers
Loopers are also commonly found pests on strawberry plants that damage the plants by making holes in them.
Loopers are pale green caterpillars with cream or white lines on the sides of the body. Loopers generally attack the lower leaves of the strawberry plant.
8. Japanese Beetle
These critters are easy to distinguish due to can be easily distinguished due to their copper-green metallic color. Their length is around 13mm.
Adult beetles can damage the strawberry plant’s flower and skeletonize its leaves. If you do not get rid of Japanese beetles, they can damage the strawberry plant extensively.
how to get rid of strawberry bugs: Organic Ways
Bugs can be horrible for strawberry plants and can cease the production of strawberries.
The topmost concern is preventing bugs from coming close to the strawberry plants.
Bugs attack the strawberry plant from the first sprout and continue to do so during all the different stages.
You can use floating covers to protect your strawberry plants in the summer.
With the covers, there will be a hindrance for the insects to lay eggs in the plants., insects will be unable to lay their eggs on the plants.
You can also apply essential oil like peppermint and neem oil to the plants. These essential oils help in repelling the bugs and keeping them away.
1. How Are Bugs Repelled With Peppermint Oil?
Peppermint oil consists of chemical compounds known as alcohol, terpene, and menthol. The smell of peppermint oil acts as a fumigant.
The smell receptors of the insects pick up the odor of this oil and are repelled by it. You can use this method to get rid of bugs from strawberry plants.
2. Use Dish Soap
You can use dish soap along with some water to make the plants free of bugs. While all the species of insects are not affected by this, most bugs are.
Spritz the concoction on the strawberry plant, which will kill most bugs. This homemade bug spray for strawberry plants can help you eliminate pests.
3. How Does Dish Soap Kills Strawberry Bugs?
The cell membranes of small pests are disrupted due to dish soap. Due to this, they become smothered to death.
4. Opt For Co-Planting
By co-planting, you can learn ways to keep bugs off your strawberry plants.
The delicious foliage and the sweet scent of the strawberry plants attract insects.
However, you can take care of this problem by planting some specific plants and herbs next to the plants.
What Are Some Plants That Help Deter Insects?
Some plants that help deter insects are onions, lavender, chives, basil, and mint. You can grow these plants around your strawberry plants to repel bugs.
5. Make a Garlic Spray
Another homemade bug spray for strawberry plants that you can use is garlic spray.
Bugs usually despise the smell of garlic. Hence, you can spray it over the plant and get rid of bugs from the strawberry plants.
You can also boil some water and mix some garlic into it. Spray the mixture on the plants.
How Does Garlic Repel Insects?
Garlic extracts constitute sulfurs, which can effectively deter insects. Hence, homemade bug spray for strawberry plants can effectively get rid of bugs from strawberry plants.
How to Protect Strawberries from Slugs
Wondering how to protect strawberries from slugs? Here are some ways that you can do that.
1. Make Sure That You Clear Debris and Mulch
Slugs need hiding spots to stick around. Mulch and debris can give them the perfect spot to hide.
For this, you should eliminate all the large leaves, mulch, and debris so that you do not provide a hideaway spot for slugs.
During autumn, make sure that the lawn is cleared out fast. This will prevent slugs from finding a space in the months of winter.
2. Do Not Over-Water Strawberry Plants
While you should not be skimping on watering strawberry plants, overwatering them can lead to water accumulation.
Slugs love to stay in moist environments, and if you create the ideal home for them, they are more likely to come in.
3. Use Traps
You can make some DIY traps to get rid of slugs.
Pour some water into a bowl and add sugar to it. Slugs would be drawn to the sugar water mixture and will ultimately drown in it.
You can also use an old can of beer and pour it into a bowl. The yeast in the beer will attract slugs and drown them.
4. Use Citrus Peels
Slugs like citrusy fruits along with strawberries. You can use grapefruit and oranges and place them at the bottom of the strawberry plant.
Due to the presence of citrusy fruits, slugs would be attracted to them and leave the strawberries.
5. Create Barriers for Slugs
You can create some barriers for slugs, so they do not reach your strawberry plants.
6. Sprinkle Some Wooden Ashes
You can take some ashes of wood and sprinkle them around the plant. The alkalinity of the wooden ashes deters the slugs away from the strawberry plants. You can take the wood ashes from the fireplace and use them too.
7. Use a Copper Tape
You can also use copper tape as a barricade surrounding the strawberry plant.
Copper has a shock-like effect on the snails when in contact. Copper has +2 ions that react with the slime of the mollusk and causes a reaction. Hence, slugs avoid copper.
8. Use Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
You can also protect your strawberry plants with a layer of Diatomaceous Earth. When DE is wet, slugs quickly walk over it without any problems.
However, when DE is dry, it has a repelling effect on slugs and prevents them from crawling over them.
Homemade bug spray for strawberry plants
If you’re growing strawberries, it’s important to make sure you have a good bug spray to protect your plants from the various pests and diseases that can affect them.
Some great ways to keep your plants healthy and safe include making your own bug spray or using a commercially available product.
This recipe is easy to follow and will help to avoid any pesky pests or diseases during the growing season.
- Take a few garlic cloves, white vinegar, and hot pepper.
- Crush garlic and dilute another ingredient into the water to prepare a spray.
How to protect strawberries from birds and squirrels
If you care about your strawberries, there are a few things that you can do to help protect them.
- First, make sure that you have fencing around your property to keep squirrels and birds out.
- Second, try to plant trees that provide shade for the strawberry plants.
- Third, make sure that your strawberries are grown in well-manicured areas with no sharp edges or rocks near the plants.
- Finally, be careful when picking strawberries- try not to pick at the roots or leaves!
How to stop bugs from eating strawberries
Strawberries are a popular fruit and many people believe they are safe to eat.
However, there are some things you can do to help prevent Bugs from eating your strawberries.
- First, make sure your strawberries are fully grown and have a good flavor.
- Second, avoid planting strawberries in areas with high volumes of moisture or pests.
- Finally, be sure to clean your strawberry plants regularly and mist them when they get too dirty.
Plant Bug Tarnish
The tarnished plant bug, a nectar parasite, attacks a widespread species of commercially significant plants.
Strawberries are susceptible to significant harm from the tarnished plant-insect, which pierces immature fruits as their receptacles open.
The consequence is a “kitty” berry that is deformed because these injured portions do not grow at the same rate as the majority of the strawberry.
The harm might range from minor crop distortion to total crop trade value loss. The mature, tarnished plant insect spends the winters among leaf litter and other safe spaces.
Their brownish-green bodies can identify with black and yellow stripes and a distinctive tiny triangle with a yellow point behind the skull.
Adults start laying eggs in grasses in April when they first become active. These tiny larvae look like aphids because they are thin, light-green insects.
Aphids also have a set of cornicles and pipes resembling tailpipes on the stomach’s apex, but Tarnish plant insects do not.
The final pupal stage is when the larvae turn brown. Within thirty to forty days, its whole life cycle is finished, and there are between two and four overlapped cycles per year.
To eliminate these pests naturally:
- To reduce egg-laying surroundings, get rid of bushes and other plant residues close to the strawberry patch.
- One can capture bugs by placing white sticky baits throughout their garden; keep in mind not to capture any helpful insects by checking them frequently.
- Put pollen-producing vegetation throughout the landscape to draw in massive beetles, damsel insects, and pirate bugs—natural enemies of tarnish plant bugs.
- Throughout the flowering and fruit-bearing season, attempt to keep the area as weed-free as appropriate.
- Before they blossom, inspect plants twice a week for tarnish plant bug symptoms. If you notice this, you can apply pesticidal soap.
- Over the strawberry plants, install floating column covers. It is advisable to install one of those at the time of planting.
- Additionally, any berry with an injury must be discarded because it won’t develop normally.
- Bugs will stop eating or egg-laying if a garlicky spritz is used.
Conclusion
Taking care of your strawberry plants can sometimes be exhausting. However, you reap what you sow.
Hence, if you want to get beautiful plants that give you delicious fruits, you must take care of them. You can use the above methods to get rid of bugs on strawberry plants.
Maintaining different strawberries and getting rid of the bugs on strawberry plants throughout the year may be daunting for every season of harvest.
Gardeners seeking answers to how to get rid of bugs in strawberry plants can efficiently utilize the information above and get rid of bugs.
Organic Controls for Common Strawberry FAQs
Q: What Is Taking Bites Out Of My Strawberries?
Native budworms, corn earworms, and scarab beetles tend to bite and chew strawberries. They also have an impact on the health of your strawberry crops.
Q: What Disease Is Primarily Found In Strawberry Plants?
The fungus that affects strawberry plants is gray mold or botrytis rot.
Q: Do Strawberry Plants Respond To Vinegar Spray?
Spray the strawberry plants with a solution of water and vinegar in a ratio of 3:1 to get rid of pests.
Aphids want to lurk on the leaf undersides and the stalks, so be sure to cover those areas.
To destroy them all, repeat the method each week. Another good option is a pesticidal soap mist.
Q: What Is A Natural Aphid Spray?
The simple method to create a homemade aphid assassin mist for that aphid invasion is to combine a few teaspoons of liquid dishwashing or insecticidal detergent in a quart of water.
Take a spray bottle with the liquid and detergent combination, grab a dishwashing rag, and go outside to the garden.
Q: Why Do White Patches Keep Appearing On My Strawberry Plant?
The infection’s primary cause is Podosphaera aphanisi, a fungus that can affect all components of the strawberry plant, including the fruit and blooms.
The first signs that may be observed on the leaves are fuzzy white patches that eventually turn red, then purple, and finally brown.
To cure powdery mildew issues, buy antifungals and follow the advice on the packaging. Choose an organic pesticide.
Q: Will A Rinse With Soap Harm Strawberry Plants?
In an emergency, soap rinse water from dishwashing or detergent will effectively protect plants alive.
However, there are a few potential issues to be mindful of.
Chloride, often included in bleaching, can harm plants, especially if it comes in contact with the leaves.
Q: What Rapidly Eradicates Aphids?
Spraying aphids off your plants with a strong stream of water from the garden hose is the most effective and secure approach to getting rid of them.
Since aphids are such tiny, delicate insects, even a strong downpour won’t be able to remove them.
Q: how to wash strawberries with salt
Pour water into a big bowl, add 1 to 2 cups of salt, and stir until the salt is dissolved.
Put in the strawberries and make sure they are completely covered with water.
Let them soak for about 30 minutes. After bathing, run cool water over the strawberries to clean them well.
Q: Are the seeds on strawberries bugs
No, strawberry seeds are not bugs. They are the eggs of the fruit and are perfectly safe to eat.
Q: do all strawberries have worms in them
No, strawberries don’t always have worms in them.
There could be small insects or larvae, but this doesn’t happen very often, and a full wash usually gets rid of them.
Q: How to get rid of white bugs on strawberries?
White bugs are probably aphids or mites. To get rid of them, you can use a strong spray of water or soap that kills insects. If a swarm keep
Q: do frozen strawberries have worms in them
Not very often. Strawberries are generally washed well before being frozen.
Worms would probably die in the freezing process if they were there before.
Q: how to stop bugs from eating strawberries
Use insect nets or floating row covers to keep bugs from eating strawberries.
Check your plants for pests often and use organic poisons if you need to. Helpful insects can also be brought in.
Q: List of repellents to protect strawberry
Insecticidal soaps, neem oil, diatomaceous earth, and handmade sprays like garlic or chili can keep bugs away from strawberries.
Pests can also be kept away from plants with the help of netting and row covers.
My name is Olivia, and I live in the United States and love having plants in my garden. Lots of plants are there on my balcony, indoor and outdoor garden also. Here I am trying to share useful gardening tips, how to grow and care for various plants, etc.
