Strawberry plants are plagued by many types of insects, but luckily you can easily control them with a little extra work and the proper insecticides. At first, you might think that some of the pests on your strawberry plants are part of their natural life cycle, but you can interrupt their life cycle to squash the bugs once and for all. Strawberry plants, whether they are grown in a container like a patio pot or directly in the ground, can be infested by many different types of pests. Mealy bugs, spider mites, aphids and beetles can be found on strawberries. They feed on all parts of a strawberry plant from the leaves to the fruit. Using organic pesticides for strawberries will help rid your plants of pests without any harmful chemical residue left behind.
Natural Pest Control For Strawberry Plants
Birds
The best way to keep birds away from your strawberry plants is with bird netting. Bird netting can be purchased at your local garden store or online, and it’s inexpensive and easy to use.
Bird netting should be placed around the base of each plant so that it extends onto the ground. This will prevent birds from being able to perch on top of the plant, where they eat ripe fruit before you get a chance to pick it!
Tarnished Plant Bugs
Tarnished plant bugs are a common pest in strawberry plants. The tarnished plant bug is found in the soil, and will feed on your strawberries by chewing a small hole near the stem and sucking out the juice. The black spot left behind on the skin of the berry will tell you if you have been attacked by one of these pests.
You can prevent damage from tarnished plant bugs by planting a trap crop of radish or mustard around your strawberry plants. The adult tarnished plant bug will be attracted to these crops instead of feeding on your strawberries, and eventually die off when winter comes around!
Aphids
Aphids, which are small soft-bodied insects that feed on the leaves of strawberry plants. Aphids are usually green, but may be pink, black, brown or yellow. They can be found in clusters on the underside of leaves and around plant stems. Aphids suck the sap out of strawberry plants and produce a sticky substance called honeydew. This attracts ants and promotes sooty mold growth on leaves later in the season when humidity levels increase.
To control aphid populations:
- Wash off any visible aphids with water from your garden hose sprayer; repeat every two to three days until you no longer see them
- Use an insecticidal soap if washing does not work
Flea Beetles
- Strawberry flea beetle: These bugs look like fleas and are generally red, brown or black. They feed on the upper surface of the leaves, causing yellow spots to appear.
- Strawberry leaf beetle: The adult is similar in appearance to a small ladybird; it has a black body with orange markings on its wings. This pest feeds on young shoots and undersides of leaves, causing them to wilt and turn brown.
- Strawberry root weevil: The larvae live underground feeding on root hairs and become adults that emerge through cracks in the ground or as they move around looking for new food sources (strawberries). Adults are yellowish-brown beetles which feed by chewing holes into strawberry crowns during periods of high activity usually after rain when there’s an increase in soil moisture levels resulting in better conditions for the insect’s survival rates which could be why spraying chemicals only works temporarily as once you stop spraying them your plants will grow back again over time but if you spray too often then you could kill off beneficial insects such as bees that pollinate flowers! Be careful not too spray too much as this would kill off all life forms except weeds so try using natural methods instead!
Slugs
Slugs are not insects. They are actually a type of mollusk, which means they have soft bodies and no skeleton. These animals lack any sort of shell, so they can squeeze into small spaces to hide from predators. Slugs have poor vision, but they have a good sense of smell and can find their way around by feeling the vibrations in the ground as other animals or people walk by.
Slugs feed on many types of plants, including strawberries. They eat leaves, flowers and fruit right off the plant!
Natural predators, insecticidal sprays and other methods can keep your strawberry plants pest-free.
When it comes to natural pest control, two of the most important players are ladybugs and lacewings. These insects can get rid of aphids, mites, scale and other garden pests that may be eating your strawberry plants. You can also make a homemade insecticidal spray out of soap and water to kill them off.
If these methods don’t work for you or if you prefer not to use chemicals in your garden, you should try predatory nematodes as another option. These microscopic organisms feed on pests such as slugs and snails. If you notice ants around your strawberries this could indicate that they are attracted by some kind of sap on the leaves or stems that has been left behind by either aphids or scale insects in order to feed themselves off their honeydew secretions; so if you see any ants around then try using milky spore disease powder as an alternative way of controlling them without having any harmful effects on other beneficial bugs like ladybugs etcetera.”