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Strawberry Insect Management
General Overview
Summaries of the root, foliage, and fruit pests of strawberries, presented under separate headings, contain information on descriptions, life cycles, sampling methods, and control practices for insects and related pests that damage particular portions of strawberry plants. To assemble an effective insect pest management program in strawberries, the information and practices associated with individual pests must be combined. A useful way to do so is to construct a pest management calendar based on stages of field preparation or strawberry development. Such a calendar follows. References that provide further information on individual pests and scouting practices include:
- Cooley, D.R., & S.G. Schloemann. 1994. "Integrated Pest Management
for Strawberries in the Northeastern United States." Cooperative Extension
Service, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
- Kovach, J., W. Wilcox, A. Agnello, & M. Pritts. 1993. " Strawberry
IPM Scouting Procedures." New York State Integrated Pest Management
Program Publ. No. 203b, Cooperative Extension Service, Cornell University,
Ithaca.
- Ries, S.M., M.M. Kushad, A.G. Otterbacher, & R.A. Weinzierl. 1996.
"1996 Illinois Commercial Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide." Cooperative
Extension Service, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (Updated
annually)
- Williams, R.N., & R.W. Rings. 1980. "Insect Pests of Strawberries in Ohio." Research Bulletin 1122, Cooperative Extension Service, Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster.
1996 Strawberry insect and mite management calendar for Illinois
See the latest edition of the Illinois Commercial Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide for pesticide rates and restrictions. For background on insect and mite life cycles and sampling methods, see publications by Cooley & Schloemann (1994) and Williams & Rings (1980).
| Crop Stage orTiming | Target Pest | Action | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field selection & establishment | Strawberry clipper | Locate new fields away from wood lots and hedges to minimize invasion by clippers. | |
| White grubs | Do not place new plantings of strawberries in fields the first year after grass sod has been tilled. Diazinon at transplanting will give some control. | ||
| Strawberry crown borer, strawberry root weevil, black vine weevil | Isolate new plantings at least 300 yards from older plantings infested by these insects. | ||
| Cyclamen mite | Inspect new transplants for cyclamen mites and damage; do not use infested transplants. | ||
| Prebloom (buds forming) and very early bloom | Strawberry clipper | As soon as flower buds are visible, check for clipped plants. Threshold = 1 clipped bud / 2 ft. of row or any clipped buds in fields with histories of damage. Use a registered insecticide at early bud stage and 10 days later. | |
| Tarnished plant bug | As blossom buds become visible, tap clusters into a white pan to sample. Use a registered insecticide if counts exceed 2 adults / 10 sweeps, 1 nymph / 4 flower clusters, or more than 10 % of flower clusters are infested by nymphs. Apply when buds first become visible and just before bloom begins. | ||
| Eastern flower thrips | As first blossoms open, tap flower clusters into a white pan or shake clusters in a plastic bag. If counts exceed 2 - 10 thrips / blossom, use one of several registered insecticides before 10 % bloom or Align or Neemix later in bloom. | ||
| Cyclamen mite | If cyclamen mite is a problem, use a registered insecticide 1 to 2 days before bloom and again 10 to 14 days later. | ||
| Spider mites | See comments for the bloom-to-harvest period. | ||
| Bloom | Avoid insecticide use during bloom to save pollinators. In wet seasons following mild winters or where slug problems have been severe, application of metaldehyde baits for slug control may be warranted during bloom. | ||
| Postbloom through harvest | Strawberry leafroller | If greater than 10 to 20 % of leaflets are infested, use a registered insecticide. Obey preharvest restrictions. | |
| Spider mites | If mite counts exceed 5 / leaflet or more than 25 % of leaflets are infested, use a registered miticide Obey preharvest restrictions. | ||
| Slugs | If needed, apply metaldehyde baits to the soil surface but not directly on plants. | ||
| Strawberry sap beetle | Practice clean harvesting. Registered insecticides are effective but usually impractical because of a 5-day PHI. | ||
| Postharvest | Slugs | Mowing, subsoiling, narrowing beds, and good weed control create conditions that discourage slug buildup. Waiting until late fall to mulch also reduces slug populations. | |
| Strawberry leafroller | After renovation, use a registered insecticide if more than 10 to 20 % of leaflets are infested. Natural enemies usually provide control. | ||
| Strawberry rootworm | After renovation, use a registered insecticide if populations of adults (beetles) exceed 10 to 20 / sq. ft. Use a flashlight to scout at night. | ||
| Spider mites | Mowing as part of renovation reduces current season infestations. Delayed mulching discourages outbreaks the following season. Use thresholds and miticides listed above if needed. | ||
| Strawberry root weevil, black vine weevil | Plow under old infested plantings soon after harvest ends. To carry over infested plantings, check the up-to-date edition of the Illinois Commercial Small Fruit and Strawberry Spray Guide for information on insecticide application. | ||