Wonderful strawberries not only magically attract those with a sweet tooth; for various pests, they also rank high on the menu. Here you can find out how to track down and effectively combat the most important strawberry pests.
Strawberry Blossom Picker
His name already reveals his sinister doings. The strawberry blossom weevil is a 3 millimeter small black beetle with vertical stripes on the elytra. The females lay their eggs in the buds while nibbling on the flower stalks. As the buds wither, the larvae develop inside. They feed on the strawberry leaves. How to deal with the pests:
- in spring mulch with ferns, which have a repellent effect on the female beetles
- Discard any dead buds
- regularly collect the beetles from the plants
- at temperatures of 15-25 degrees, inject the biological repellent AMN BioVit every 8-10 days
- spraying with tansy after the harvest has a preventive effect
Beneficial insects such as ground beetles and parasitic wasps (€22.99) provide effective support from the animal world. The latter are available in specialist shops as larvae so that they can settle in the garden.
Strawberry centipede
If worms cavort in the fruit, it is the voracious brood of the strawberry centipede. These are worm-like larvae with three small pairs of legs. These live in the ground and eat every strawberry they can get their hands on. A composted, humus-rich bed with a high moisture content is considered the preferred habitat of the pests. How to stop the worms:
- collect the 2 centimeter light beige animals
- Cover strawberry plants with straw to prevent pests from getting to the fruit
- dust infested bushes with rock dust
- Growing strawberries in mixed crops with garlic, nasturtium, marigolds or marigolds
A sliced potato turns into a powerful trap. Laid out in the garden cut side down, you can collect plenty of strawberry millipedes underneath the next morning.
tips and tricks
Snails, omnipresent in the garden, do not spare strawberry plants. They mercilessly attack the delicate leaves and flowers. Since chemical slug pellets (7.49€) are undesirable in the kitchen garden, try using dried coffee grounds. The caffeine it contains is toxic to snails. Simply sprinkle in a ring around the bed or individual plants.