Contents
Pests of garden strawberries cause irreparable harm to the bushes themselves and adversely affect their fruiting. To combat insects, chemical and folk remedies are used. Increased attention is paid to plant care and preventive measures.
Processing steps for strawberries
To prevent the spread of pests, several processing steps are required:
- spring – before the strawberries begin to bloom;
- autumn – after harvest.
Chemical agents are most effective against insect pests of strawberries. However, most of them are not allowed to be used during the growing season of plants. Preparations 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.
Plantings are processed by watering or spraying. For the procedure, the morning or evening period is selected, when there is no wind, rain or direct sunlight.
The following methods will help in the question of how to protect strawberries from insect colonization:
- purchase seedlings from trusted manufacturers;
- disinfect the soil and seedlings before planting in a permanent place;
- apply fertilizer in a timely manner;
- remove the top layer of soil where most insects spend the winter;
- prevent waterlogging of the soil;
- trim the mustache and old leaves.
What to plant next to strawberries to repel insects? Pests bypass marigolds, calendula, borage, tansy, tobacco. Onions and garlic are planted in the garden every 30 cm.
Strawberry pests
Garden pests live in the ground or on strawberry bushes. These insects spread diseases, 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
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 her eggs in strawberry buds, causing 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 preparations – “Intra-vir”, “Namabakt” and “Antonem-F”.
A folk remedy for pests is a solution of iodine. It is taken in the amount of 1 tsp. and dissolved in one bucket of water.
During the formation of berries, treat plantings from weevil with the following means:
- 10 g of mustard powder per bucket of water;
- 2 kg of wood ash per bucket of water;
- a solution of potassium permanganate (5 g) per 10 liters of water.
strawberry leaf beetle
A small yellowish bug up to 4 mm long eats strawberry leaves, however, it prefers other greens on the site. Beetle larvae appear during the period when the strawberry begins to bloom.
You can determine the lesion by the many holes on the leaves, dried foliage and small berries. The fight against the pest is complicated by its rapid spread.
When using chemicals, processing strawberries from pests is performed twice before flowering. Additionally, the procedure is performed after harvesting.
To prevent the spread of the leaf beetle, it is necessary to carry out weeding in the beds in a timely manner. In early spring, strawberries can be sprinkled with tobacco dust.
Larvae of the May beetle
The cockchafer is a large brown insect. The greatest danger to plantings is its larvae, eating 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 the beds. An effective remedy is an infusion of onion peel. To do this, the bucket is filled with a third of the husk, poured with water and insisted for 5 days. The resulting product must be diluted with water in equal proportions, pour strawberries.
Strawberry mite
This type of mite destroys the color buds that form in late 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 dipped for 15 minutes in water with a temperature of about 45 ° C.
The activity of the strawberry mite increases with high humidity. How to process strawberries, choose from chemical or folk remedies. For the treatment of plants, colloidal sulfur or “Karbofos” is used.
The procedure is carried out before the start of foliage growth, then repeated after harvest. Additionally, the plants are sprayed with an infusion of onion peel, garlic or dandelion.
spider mite
You can identify a spider mite by the large amount of cobwebs that envelop the plant. The pest looks like a small green insect that chooses the lower leaves of strawberries. Ticks feed on plant sap, which leads to the death of foliage.
To combat strawberry pests, fitoseylus is planted in the garden. This is a type of tick that fights other insects.
The best option, how to get rid of the spider mite, is the use of drugs “Ortus”, “Omayt”, “Nurell D”. It is also allowed to use an infusion of tobacco, onion, garlic, hot pepper. Strawberries from pests are treated by spraying.
Nematodes
The nematode cannot be identified with the naked eye, since its dimensions do not exceed 1 mm. The insect lives in the sinuses and buds of strawberries. Its activity leads to deformation and darkening of the leaves, slow development of bushes and reduced yields.
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. With extensive infection resort to treatment with methyl bromide.
Universal methods for dealing with the nematode have not been developed. 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. Its wings are covered with wax dust. The insect does not tolerate exposure to the sun and prefers shady areas.
Whitefly larvae feed on plant sap. As a result of their exposure, strawberry leaves curl, yellow spots appear on them. The whitefly leaves traces resembling sugar.
Moving the beds to sunny areas will help to avoid the spread of whiteflies on strawberries. It is also necessary to provide the plants with the necessary care (remove weeds, clean plantings from leaves).
In small areas it is allowed to use folk methods. This includes garlic infusion and a decoction of Dalmatian chamomile flowers.
Bronze
Bronzovka is a black beetle with many hairs. Its larvae prefer plant roots and humus. The invasion of bronze is determined by eaten leaves and damaged peduncles.
Digging up the soil and eliminating larvae and adult insects will help get rid of bronze. Since the pest appears during the flowering and fruiting of strawberries, this makes it difficult to chemically treat plantings.
Medvedka
Medvedka is a brown insect up to 6 cm long. Its larvae feed on plants for two years. The defeat of the bear is determined by the destroyed root system and the wilting of strawberries.
Honey is used as bait, which is placed in a glass jar and buried in the ground. From chemicals choose “Zolon”, “Marshall”, “Bazudin”.
aphid
The aphid is a small pest that inhabits the petioles, leaves and flowers of strawberries. Insects live in colonies, multiply rapidly and populate neighboring plants.
Against aphids, the chemicals Zolon, Sharpei, Nurell D work well. Processing is carried out before strawberry flowering, after which it is repeated after harvest. From folk remedies, we fight this pest with a soapy solution, a decoction of tobacco and a tincture of bitter pepper.
Thrips tobacco
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 the invasion of insects.
An additional procedure when deciding how to protect strawberries is spraying with soapy water. Another folk remedy is an infusion of dandelions. To prepare it, the container is filled by a third with these plants, after which it is poured with water. The infusion is left for 4 days. Before use, a little ash is added to it.
Slugs
With a decrease in temperature and high humidity, slugs appear on the site. 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 planting from slugs. The use of granular substances is allowed.
Slugs do not tolerate phosphorus or potash fertilizers, which can be scattered along the rows with strawberries.
Conclusion
What means to use for pest control depends on the time of their detection. Usually, the damage caused by insects is noticeable during the growing season of strawberries. At this time, the use of strong chemicals is not allowed. Therefore, increased attention is paid to the care of strawberries and preventive treatment.
