How to get rid of caterpillars on strawberries

Strawberry is a fragrant and juicy berry, which is enjoyed not only by children, but also by many pests. Most often, caterpillars hit it. For gluttonous worms, the berries and leaves of the plant are a real find. They are soft, nutritious and very saturated. If you leave the problem unattended, you can lose a considerable amount of the crop. There are a lot of methods on how to deal with caterpillars on strawberries. For this use both chemical reagents and folk remedies. But in order to find a suitable option, you will first have to try a few.

A few words about the main pests

Before looking for methods to control caterpillars on strawberries, you should try to determine which pest attacked her. This will significantly reduce the search for the right tool and increase the effectiveness of the fight.

• Marsh scoop. This is a small shaggy butterfly that lays its eggs on the back of a leaf plate. Emerging caterpillars eat flowers, shoots, leaves, fruits, ovaries. They can also be introduced near the root neck. The larvae make moves there, and the plant begins to quickly wither.
• Strawberry leaflet. This is a common nocturnal butterfly, but it is not she herself who harms, but her caterpillars. They begin their harmful activity under the leaf at the base of the midrib. Having gained a little strength, they switch to the whole sheet. You can notice their appearance by the fact that the leaves of the strawberry will become like a sieve, they will all be pitted with small holes. Black caterpillars on strawberries live and breed throughout the summer.
• If caterpillars appeared on the leaves, which have a juicy green tint, then we are talking about the attack of sawfly larvae. This is a very insidious insect that can quickly destroy the crop. A characteristic feature of the defeat of this pest is that they begin to nibble the leaf along the edge and only gradually reach the middle vein.
• Slug. These are very large caterpillars, the appearance of which requires special climatic conditions. They appear only in the absence of heat and high humidity. Slugs eat berries and eat leaves.
• Strawberry Whitefly. Very tiny butterfly no more than 1mm long. They eat leaves, drink juice and hit ripe fruits. Larvae also eat leaves. As a result, the strawberry leaves dry, curl, a fungus appears on them.
• Strawberry nematode. These are thin and transparent long worms that actively parasitize on ripe fruits. They cause significant damage to the crop. The active phase of reproduction falls precisely on the flowering and ripening period of strawberries.

The control of caterpillars on strawberries consists in establishing the type of pest, selecting a remedy, processing plants and regular prevention.

Chemical methods for protecting strawberries from caterpillars

Methods for controlling caterpillars on strawberries using special preparations should be based on the following principles:

1. Strict adherence to the instructions for use.
2. Safety for humans.
3. The degree of damage to plants.

The following drugs will help get rid of caterpillars on strawberries:

1. Actara. Intestinal insecticide. Available in powder form. The average cost of 250 rubles per 10 g.It is steady against temperature fluctuations, it is well dissolved in water. After processing, it retains its properties for a long time and is not washed off by precipitation.
2. Marshal. You can buy in the form of an emulsion. Caterpillars get rid of due to the presence of acaricidal properties. You can spray plants and apply an insecticide to the soil. It specializes in the control of the Colorado potato beetle, but is often used against pests and many other crops. 65 rubles for 5 g.
3. Zolon. Broad-spectrum insecticide. It belongs to the group of intestinal and contact action. It is used during the growing season of strawberries. Dosage depends on the type of plant. It retains its properties even when the ambient temperature drops to 10 degrees. The price is 20 rubles per 10 ml.
4. Nurell. The active ingredients are cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos. Available in the form of a concentrated emulsion. It has an almost instant effect. Effective at temperatures up to +8 degrees Celsius. 1l costs 2000 rubles.
5. Omight. Accracid preparation provides disposal of pests of fruit and vegetable crops. Available in the form of a concentrated emulsion, which should be diluted in the right amount of water. Not active against eggs. The cost of 20 rubles.
6. Karbofos. Helps fight the strawberry leaflet and many other caterpillars. Inexpensive, effective. Available in powder form. It is required to breed in water. To get rid of pests, strawberry leaf should be processed from the inside. 40 rubles per pack.

Also, when choosing a tool, than to process caterpillars on strawberries and strawberries, you can use Karate, Actellik, Spark, Zemlin, Pochin.

Feedback

When small holes appeared on the strawberries, for a long time we did not know which insecticide is better to use. After all, the pests themselves were not visible and it was necessary to choose a universal, but safe tool. Therefore, they decided to use the biological drug Bitoxibacillin. The day after processing, no changes were noticed. But already on 5 sheets began to depart, the plants came to life.

Margarita, Moscow

Feedback

I grow strawberries for sale. When the green caterpillars appeared, he was very scared for his harvest. I decided not to try luck with folk remedies and immediately bought Nurell. Expensive, but very effective. If processed in a timely manner, it will not do any harm to humans.

Ilya, Novorossiysk

Folk remedies

Fighting folk methods with strawberry and strawberry caterpillars is not only safe, but also effective. Such methods will always come to the rescue when the attack of pests has reached its peak, and there is no possibility to use a chemical preparation. Also, after the use of folk remedies, you can not worry that chemicals will enter the human body. Another advantage of these methods is versatility. The same means you can process cabbagestrawberries currant and raspberries.

How to deal with green caterpillars on strawberries, as well as other pests without the use of chemistry:

• Infusion of wormwood. A very good tool that helps to solve not only the problem with strawberry bushes, but also many other crops. To do this, fill the bucket half with wormwood and fill the rest with water. Insist in a warm place for at least a day. To spray the affected plants with the resulting fluid.
• Field camomile. Collect and dry the flowers. Grind and cook raw materials. For 1 liter of water, take 100 g of dried chamomile. Put in a dark place for 24 hours. After that, you can process the beds with strawberries.
• Ash. Her caterpillars are afraid and will not even come near. Sprinkle under the bushes and leave.
• Soapy ash solution. This combination will not only help get rid of pests on the sheets, but also strengthen the plants. Add 200 g of ash and a piece of laundry soap to a bucket of water. Stir until completely dissolved and spray the culture.
• Needles.It itself will become an obstacle to the tracks. They will not be able to get to her. Spread the needles on the soil near the roots of strawberries. This method is not suitable for those pests that are displayed immediately on the sheets.
• Tobacco dust. A safe method that can be used during the flowering period of strawberries.
• Infusion of tansy. This particular plant helps to fight many country and garden pests. You can buy dried flowers at the pharmacy. Pour 100 g of herb with 1 liter of water and boil for 20 minutes. After this, cool and strain. Pour the prepared solution into a bucket of water and treat the area.

As prevention, the following rules should be followed:

1. Only plant healthy seedlings.
2. Observe crop rotation.
3. Do not plant strawberries next to those plants that infect the same pests.

Thus, caterpillars on strawberries are a rare occurrence, but can cause a lot of trouble. And if the leaves of culture began to fade, holes appeared on them and any bugs or caterpillars were found, measures should be taken immediately to combat them.