Revised

Strawberries

Strawberries

Strawberries
Prebloom sprays

Apply when new leaves are expanding and blossom buds are visible.

Strawberry clipper

key pests or pest complexes

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

key pests or pest complexes

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

key pests or pest complexes

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

key pests or pest complexes

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

key pests or pest complexes

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