Strawberry Pests. Part 1

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Photo: azamshah72 / Rusmediabank.ru

Many people associate such a culture as strawberries with the dacha farming. However, many gardeners fail to get the desired harvest. In this article, we'll talk about the most common strawberry pests and how to deal with them.

Such a pest as the strawberry leaf beetle is a yellow-brown beetle, the length of which is three to four millimeters. This beetle will feed on leaves; before flowering, the female will lay eggs on the underside of the leaves. In just ten days, larvae appear, which will feed on strawberry leaves. The larvae are about half a centimeter long, they are yellow in color, there are brown spots on the back. With massive damage, the leaves will dry out, and the berries themselves will not receive proper development. The beetle can hibernate under plant debris. As for control methods, strict adherence to crop rotation standards should become an indispensable preventive measure. If we talk about chemical methods of struggle, then spraying with Shar Pei, Actellik or Zolon preparations is suitable. Such spraying should be done during the active life of this pest.

Another important pest is the strawberry whitefly. This parasite is a rather small winged insect that superficially looks like a very small white butterfly. The whitefly is slightly more than one centimeter long. The wings of this pest are covered with a kind of waxy pollen; the whitefly has two pairs of wings. This pest will be located on the underside of the leaves, the parasite will suck the sap from the plant. It should be noted that this parasite will avoid direct sunlight in every possible way. Reproduction occurs with eggs, the parasite also lays them on the underside of the leaves. Six-legged larvae emerge from the eggs; they are noticeable only with multiple magnifications. The larvae will stick to the plant from the underside of the leaf. The larvae are immobile; the entire development of the larva takes about twenty to thirty days. Over the entire growing season, up to three to four generations of such a pest can develop. In the fall, the whitefly will hide under the leaves, where it will remain until next spring.

The main preventive measure will be strict adherence to crop rotation standards. You can also use chemicals for spraying: for example, Shar-Pei or karate are suitable. Spraying should be done before flowering strawberries or after the harvest has been harvested. You can grow the plant on the so-called mulch film, which has a special coating. Weeds should be constantly destroyed, and plant debris should be destroyed in the fall.

A pest such as the green peach aphid also poses a very serious danger. This aphid covers peduncles and leaf stalks with a dense layer of greenish mass. The affected plant will weaken very noticeably. Good methods of control will be tobacco broth, infusion of hot pepper or infusion of soap solution. However, such methods are not particularly effective. Therefore, it is so important to observe preventive measures that will help avoid the manifestation of this disease. The disease affects especially massively during the ripening of berries, when the use of chemical methods of struggle is no longer acceptable. Strict observance of crop rotation norms will become very important. Of course, chemical methods of control are also permissible, for example, spraying with drugs such as karate, sharpei or zolon. Spraying should be done before flowering or after harvest. If you are growing a plant in a greenhouse, then the use of a predatory gall midge will be an effective method. Preventive measures and compliance with the rules of competent care are the key to the absence of various diseases in the future.