Weevil on strawberries: control and prevention

Description of the pest

The beetle got its name – the weevil – thanks to the long, elongated trunk on the front of the head (rostrum). The size of the insect is only 3 mm., The color is gray-black. In the world there are two sections of weevils – short-proboscis and long-proboscis. We are dealing with the second species, they just like to settle in the tissues of plants.

The weevil feeds not only on strawberries, but also on raspberries, strawberries and flowers. There are over 70 species of grey-black weevil around the world today. And it is no coincidence, since these insects love the tropical climate. The weevil spends the winter in already fallen leaves. When the temperature rises, spring comes, the insect crawls out and begins to feed on fresh strawberry leaves.

In warm spring, the weevil attacks the flower buds, where the insects mate. In the buds of flowers, a new offspring of pests develops; in late June – early July, the hatched guard of weevils feeds exclusively on the leaves of flowers and strawberries. Fortunately, today there are many ways to effectively combat weevils, which makes it possible to save up to 40% of the crop.

How to deal?

There are two ways to deal with weevil – chemical and folk remedies. Remember that it is not so important which insecticide you choose. It is much more important to carry out the procedure for irrigating the beds at the right time.

To begin with, the fight against pests should begin in advance, when the soil is still covered with snow. The temperature outside is not comfortable for weevils, and, at this time, they are in hibernation. The first spraying is carried out five to six days before the flowering of flower buds. In the middle of summer, irrigation is carried out a second time, which allows you to get rid of a new generation of weevils and prevent insects from overwintering.

The best way to drive the weevil away is to irrigate the ground with a mixture of iodine and water (one teaspoon per bucket of water). A remedy such as Inta-vir in a tablet will help drive the beetle out of the garden. Take 3 tablets per 10 liters of water and treat the bed, and after harvesting, the soil too. There are biological control preparations – Namabact, Antonem – F, they can be used in early spring and late autumn. Also, for the end of spring, Iskra-bio, Akarin, Fitoverm are suitable.

The chemical means of combating the weevil also include drugs such as karbofos, metaphos, actellik. In general, the best products will be those that contain live microorganisms, due to which the percentage of insects will drop sharply. Not a bad result is the fumigation of plants with various preparations – for this procedure in the future, strawberries will delight you with their juiciness.

If you still do not trust chemicals, you can use several folk methods tested by experienced gardeners:

• the very first and most effective method to deal with beetles is mechanical destruction. To do this, in the evening you need to spread a newspaper or paper under each strawberry bush, and shake off the beetles early in the morning. After the litter with weevils must be burned. Note that this method is quite laborious, and not everyone willingly uses it. But it is manual processing that makes it possible to effectively get rid of the insect;
• not bad to fight mustard bugs. Take 100 g of mustard powder and dilute it to 3 liters. water;
• various herbs are good for fighting insects – an infusion of tansy, wormwood, bitter capsicum;
• effective is the use of potassium permanganate – 5 g per 10 liters of water, the prepared solution must be sprayed with strawberry sheets. Also, tincture of capsicum will help drive the weevil away;
• processing young leaves with ammonia will enable healthy strawberries to grow;
• you can prepare a tincture of 100 grams of garlic, 400 ml of coniferous wood and two tablespoons of boric acid. The resulting mixture must be infused for a week in a bucket of water, and then sprayed with strawberry leaves.

Unfortunately, the action of any folk remedy can interrupt the rain, then the effect of protection against the weevil will come to naught. Rainwater will wash away any non-chemical substance. The procedure for irrigating strawberry leaves must be carried out constantly.

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From this video you will learn how to deal with the weevil pest with folk remedies. 

Prevention

If your crop is ripe, and the weevil has not been able to reduce it, you need to take preventive measures in order to get the same result next year. To do this, with the onset of autumn, it is necessary to cut the strawberry leaves and weed the bed from weeds. So you will not allow the weevil to stay for the winter. Weeded bed should be irrigated with any insecticide. Take preventive measures after harvesting and just before it starts (in early spring), and then strawberries will delight you with their fruits.

Weevil Secrets

To easily get rid of the weevil, there are a couple of effective secret tips. The first is that the weevil does not tolerate the smell of onions and garlic. Plant a couple of beds of onions and garlic around or near the strawberry beds, then the weevil will not disturb your berry crop.

A proven folk remedy for insect control is ordinary ash. Take some ash and sprinkle it around each strawberry bush in the spring. Observing all the rules of the fight against weevil, you will surprise your loved ones more than once with a rich harvest of ripe strawberries. Remember the most important thing – pest control must take place in a timely manner, then nothing will prevent you from getting an excellent result.

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Strawberries and strawberries are very delicate plants and require the most gentle care. In the video you will learn how to protect them from various pests.