Revised
Strawberries
Strawberries
Prebloom sprays
Apply when new leaves are expanding and blossom buds are visible.
Strawberry clipper
A key pest
or pest complex
- Material
carbaryl
or permethrin - Comments
Stems of developing buds are clipped so that the buds hang down by a thread or fall to the ground. If such damage is present (3 or more clipped buds about every 3 feet), apply insecticide when floral buds first become visible.
Tarnished plant bug
A key pest
or pest complex
- Material
malathion
or permethrin
or insecticidal soap - Comments
Damaged berries are misshapen, often with the seeds grouped at the tip — referred to as "button berry." Apply insecticide when buds first become visible, and make a second application just before the first bloom opens.
Controlling weeds in and around the planting helps to reduce tarnished plant bug populations.
Spittlebug
- Material
carbaryl
or malathion
or permethrin - Comments
Masses of white, frothy foam ("spittle") on leaves, petioles and stems. Usually not a problem pest. Early season sprays for tarnished plant bug are usually adequate in controlling spittlebug infestations.
Leaf spot, scorch, blight
- Material
captan - Comments
Apply first spray when plants resume growth in the spring, just as soon as the mulch is removed.
Strawberries
Bloom sprays
Apply at 7- to 10-day intervals from early bloom through harvest.
Do not apply insecticides during bloom period.
Most varieties are self-fruitful; however, bees are essential for optimum pollination.
Fruit rotting, foliage diseases
A key pest
or pest complex
- Material
captan - Comments
Apply at 7 to 10 day intervals from early bloom through harvest. Captan is also slightly effective against leather rot
Strawberries
Postbloom through harvest sprays
Apply at 7- to 10-day intervals from when flowers are gone through harvest.
Strawberry leafroller
A key pest
or pest complex
- Material
carbaryl
or malathion
or pyrethrins and rotenone
or spinosad - Comments
Infestations may develop in spring and early summer, usually 2 to 3 generations each year. Low levels of infestation (less than 20 percent of strawberry leaflets attacked) do not warrant control. - Days between last application and harvest
Table 2
Spotted wing drosophila
- Material
spinosad - Comments
Day-neutral strawberry varieties during late-summer are very susceptible; June-bearing varieties not as susceptible. Insecticide treatment should begin when fruit first begins to color and continue through harvest. For more on SWD, see Lincoln University Cooperative Extension publication FS18A2013, Monitoring for Spotted Wing Drosophila (PDF). - Days between last application and harvest
Table 2
Slugs
- Material
metaldehyde
or iron phosphate - Comments
Apply to soil or mulch surface around plants. Do not contaminate edible parts or foliage.
For iron phosphate, spread the bait around the perimeter of the plot to intercept slugs and snails, or treat around the base of plants to be protected. Do not apply over the entire area, but apply selectively.
Leafhoppers, spittlebugs, aphids
- Material
carbaryl
or malathion
or neem
or pyrethrins and rotenone
or permethrin - Comments
Leafhopper feeding damage causes leaves to become yellow between the veins and to curl. Treat only when symptoms become apparent.
Several species of aphids attack strawberry, most damage is caused by aphids transmitting viruses from infected to noninfected plants. Such viruses are best managed by using virus-tolerant cultivars or planting certified virus-free plants. - Days between last application and harvest
Table 2
Tarnished plant bug
A key pest
or pest complex
- Material
or malathion
or permethrin
or insecticidal soap - Comments
See comments in "prebloom spray" section. - Days between last application and harvest
Table 2
Mites
- Material
or malathion
or insecticidal soap - Comments
Severe infestations result in slight mottling to a bronze discoloration on upper leaf surface. Silken webbing may be visible on lower leaf surface and between stems. Apply a pesticide when mites first appear, thorough coverage is needed. - Days between last application and harvest
Table 2
Japanese beetle
- Material
carbaryl
or permethrin
or pyrethrins and rotenone - Days between last application and harvest
Table 2