Everyday my stawberries are being eaten, something is chewing narrow tunnels all around the strawberry.?
Question:I have put down slug pellets and covered the strawberries with netting but still they are being chewed, could this be from small flies or some other small insects that are getting inside the netting? I see some small flies but don't know if I can spray the strawberries?
Please help me as everytime I see a strawberry ripening, it is eaten before I can pick it!
Answers:
Place straw round and under the fruits to keep slugs and snails off, keep strawberry nets about 4 inch above the plants to stop the birds from getting them. Use straw from wheat or barley, oat straw may carry eelworm.
Sounds more like birds, they do love them, and it amazing how they get their beaks through netting.
I wouldn't have thought flies would chew them, also it seems a shame to spray them when it's so good just to eat them as you pick. Ours get chewed by small slugs. Can you get hold of any straw, or similar? Lifting the berries off the ground & keeping them dry might help. We have put in a extra row this year, so it's not such a problem if some of them get ruined.
I dont think slug pellets will do any good...it sounds like giant maggots.
Go to lowes or home depot in the garden department and ask for a spray for strawberries. "Miracle Gro" has the right spray for your needs
This spray is good for all fruits.
I grew strawberries for a long time and the tunnels are from birds. but the tunnels in the ground are from slugs. The best way to get rid of slugs is to pour ordinary table salt all around the perimeter of the strawberries. Salt burns the slugs and they hate it. It works and do it again after it rains. Be generous with the salt. Salt is cheap and it really works. Now to keep the birds away, the birds are terrified of owls, I got a plastic owl and put in on a stake. Every time the wind blew or there was movement in the garden from any animal, the birds left because the owl would move. Keep the netting on though. Hope this helps, It worked for me. If you ever see a slug above ground, pour salt on it and watch what happens to the slug.
Sounds like birds, try to suspend your bird netting above the plants so they can't reach. I've also used the light weight white row covers. By the way, salt does a great job of killing slugs and strawberries! RScott
Your problem could be birds but I think it is more likely to be rabbits. If it is warm and dry rabbits will chew on strawberries and tomatoes for the liquid to quench their thirst.
Rabbits hate the smell of lavender plants so you could try planting a couple bordering your strawberry patch. You could also try getting a spray bottle and putting some chilli powder in with some water and spray the ground around the plants. Rabbits have sensitive noses so chilli will deter them.
It sounds like small slugs to me, especially if you are finding small holes under the berry caps on ripening fruit. You should also be able to find silvery trails on or around the plants. You could check the plants at night using a flashlight, since these slugs move around at night.
You could use a bait and apply it in areas where snails or slugs might hide, such as in the dense cover, weedy areas, etc. The bait shouldn't be applied to the strawberry plants themselves.
Also, I've had sucess in combating snails by burying empty cans in the ground (sunk down to the rim of the can). I then pour beer in the can. The slugs will be attracted and fall inside and drown. It does work.
good luck
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