Spittlebugs – Spittlebugs are very easy to identify: If you see a clear, bubbly foam at the base of your plants, you have spittlebugs. Spittlebugs are the nymph stage of insects in the Cercopoidea family, which will turn into adults commonly known as froghoppers.
- The nymphs are tan, brown, or black in color and are only about 1/4 inch in size.
- The foam is produced by the nymphs as a hiding place and shelter, and this is the symptom most often seen.
- Spittlebugs do not often kill a plant, but severe infestations may stunt it.
- Spittlebugs puncture the stems and feed on the plant’s juices.
The damage occurs near ground level and results in small berries and weak or stunted plants. To control spittlebugs organically:
Inspect the plants, and when you see the tell-tale spittle, use a strong stream of water to remove the pests.Get rid of old plant material around the plants at the end of the season. Spittlebug eggs overwinter in this garden material, and cleaning up will limit the number of eggs that can rewatch in the spring.Cover rows of strawberries with floating row covers in summer to prevent adult insects from laying eggs in your strawberries.Use a homemade spray made from garlic or hot pepper mixed with water to spray plants.Use neem oil or a citrus-based insecticidal oil to prevent infestations.Spray plants with insecticidal soap.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Contents
How do I stop slugs eating my strawberries?
Create a healthy ecosystem – 
Ultimately, the best thing you can do to control slugs in your garden is to create a healthy ecosystem. Create lots of habitats for slug predators – hedges, shrubs (especially those with berries) and trees will all attract birds such as blackbirds and thrushes, which eat slugs (and snails).
If you have room, a wildlife pond is a great addition to your garden – the newts, frogs and toads that use it will also devour slugs. Laying a slat down will attract slow worms, which eat a lot of slugs. Encourage wildlife in to your garden by creating a small hole in a fence so frogs, toads, slow worms and other species, such as hedgehogs, can travel freely between your plot and neighbouring ones.
Create a log or leaf pile, or a large open compost heap, where they can make a home. Healthy soil produces healthy plants that are much more able to withstand slug damage – slugs tend to attack plants that are already weakened in some way. So mulch your garden with homemade compost, composted green waste or well-rotted manure to support healthy soil.
What is the best way to remove pesticides from strawberries?
How to Clean Strawberries With Baking Soda – If you don’t have vinegar on hand or want to avoid any residual vinegar taste, you can soak your strawberries in a baking soda and water solution to clean them. Add 1 tsp. of baking soda to 4 cups of water, and soak your strawberries in a large bowl for five minutes.
Should strawberries be caged?
Strawberry cages help protect your beloved strawberry plants from pesky animals and critters. My small family loves strawberries a little too much. This love affair with strawberries has prompted my mother-in-law and me to grow our own. We started a strawberry garden all excited and hopeful. 
Instead of feeling discouraged, we sat down and looked for a way to protect our plants. The best project that we found is this strawberry cage. It provided the protection that we needed while allowing our strawberries to thrive and grow. 
This is an easy and simple project that serves its purpose. This is an easy build. It’ll take less than a day to make one. We have made six cages so far and we’ll surely make some more as we continue to expand our strawberry garden. This worked for us; we’re pretty sure it’ll work for you, too. Materials:
Cedar TimberHardware ClothHeavy Duty HingesHooksHandlesWood Screws
Tools:
Measuring TapeTable SawDrill
Click on any image to start the lightbox display. Use your Esc key to close the lightbox.
Thanks to Gardening Jones for this cool project! Get the full instructions here
What do spider mites do to strawberries?
Monitoring and Treatment Decisions – Vigorous plant growth during the first 4 months following fall transplant is a key factor in successful strawberry production. Monitor mid-tier leaves during this critical period when mite feeding is extremely damaging.
- Randomly select 10 leaflets per acre in small fields and 5 leaflets per acre in larger fields. When using a mite-brushing machine, the leaves from each acre can be brushed as one sample.
- Examine the undersurface of mid-tier leaflets with a hand lens to count the number of mites or use a mite-brushing machine.
- Record your observations on a sampling form,
The established economic threshold for this period is an average of five mites per mid-tier leaflet. Summer transplants have a higher threshold of an average of 10 mites per mid-tier leaflet during this same period. Once harvest begins, strawberries become more tolerant of mite feeding and treatment thresholds increase to an average of 15 to 20 mites per mid-tier leaflet.
| Common name | Amount per acre | REI‡ | PHI‡ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Example trade name) | (hours) | (days) | ||
| Not all registered pesticides are listed. The following are ranked with the pesticides having the greatest IPM value listed first—the most effective and least harmful to natural enemies, honey bees, and the environment are at the top of the table. When choosing a pesticide, consider information relating to air and water quality, resistance management, and the pesticide’s properties and application timing. Always read the label of the product being used. | ||||
| A. | CYFLUMETOFEN | |||
| (Nealta) | 13.7 fl oz | 12 | 1 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER 1 : 25A | ||||
| COMMENTS: For resistance management, do not make more than one Nealta application before using an effective miticide with a different mode of action. | ||||
| B. | ACEQUINOCYL | |||
| (Kanemite 15 SC) | 21–31 fl oz | 12 | 1 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER 1 : 20B | ||||
| COMMENTS: Do not use less than 100 gal water/acre and do not apply more than twice per year. Allow a minimum of 21 days between treatments. Crops other than strawberries may not be rotated for at least 1 year following treatment. | ||||
| C. | SPIROMESIFEN | |||
| (Oberon 2SC) | 12–16 fl oz | 12 | 3 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER 1 : 23 | ||||
| COMMENTS: Do not make more than two applications per crop season. | ||||
| D. | ETOXAZOLE | |||
| (Zeal Miticide) | 2–3 oz | 12 | 1 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER 1 : 10B | ||||
| COMMENTS: A mite growth regulator that is most effective against eggs and immatures. Most effective when applied before high numbers develop, but it will eventually control even high numbers of mites. Effective against both twospotted and carmine spider mites but not against cyclamen mite. Do not apply more than 3 oz/acre per season. | ||||
| E. | FENPYROXIMATE | |||
| (FujiMite 5SC) | 2 pt | 12 | 1 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER 1 : 21A | ||||
| COMMENTS: FujiMite provides an alternative mode of action to manage development of resistance in mites. Although it is a contact material, it is effective on all developmental stages of mites. It is active on all important mite species including: two-spotted spider mite, Lewis mite, and cyclamen mite. FujiMite is toxic to predatory mites but is non-toxic to most other natural enemies. Spray coverage is key in obtaining maximum results. | ||||
| F. | BIFENAZATE | |||
| (Acramite 50WS) | 0.75–1 lb | 12 | 1 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER 1 : 20D | ||||
| COMMENTS: Do not make more than one application per harvested crop. Two sprays may be made per year if more than one crop is harvested each year; minimum period between applications is 21 days. A good resistance management strategy is to use bifenazate as the winter spray (if needed) and as a rotational pesticide with abamectin and hexythiazox during the season. It has low toxicity to predatory mites and predatory insects. Bifenazate can be used once per year in strawberry nurseries. Toxic to bees; do not spray directly or allow to drift onto blooming crops or weeds where bees are foraging. | ||||
| G. | HEXYTHIAZOX | |||
| (Savey 50DF) | 6 oz | 12 | 3 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER 1 : 10A | ||||
| COMMENTS: Limited to one application per season. Follow label directions for last date this pesticide can be applied because this varies by region. Most effective against eggs and nymphs, so best used when mites begin to actively reproduce. Not registered for nurseries. | ||||
| H. | ABAMECTIN* | |||
| (Agri-Mek 0.15EC) | 16 fl oz | 12 | 3 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER 1 : 6 | ||||
| COMMENTS: Abamectin is less effective under cold weather conditions than in warm weather because movement into the leaf does not readily occur. Abamectin is most effective when used in paired applications 7 to 10 days apart when mites reach detectable levels under warmer temperatures in late winter and spring. Repeat the paired applications if necessary to maintain twospotted spider mite control. Do not exceed 16 fluid oz/acre per application or 64 fl oz/acre (four applications) in a growing season. Do not apply in less than 100 gal water/acre (200 gal/acre is optimal). Do not repeat treatment within 21 days of second application. Abamectin is not registered for strawberry nurseries. Highly toxic to bees; do not spray directly or allow to drift onto blooming crops or weeds where bees are foraging. | ||||
| I. | NARROW RANGE OIL# | |||
| (Omni Oil 6-E) | 1–2% | 12 | ||
| MODE OF ACTION: Contact including smothering and barrier effects. | ||||
COMMENTS: The potential for phytotoxicity has not been fully evaluated. Growers are encouraged to test product or product mixes for phytotoxicity before field applications to determine safety margins. Acceptable for use on organically grown crops only when fruit are not present. Apply in 60 gal water/acre with air-assist, low-volume ground equipment or 200 gal water/acre with standard ground spray equipment.
|
||||
| J. | NEEM OIL# | |||
| (Trilogy) | 1–2 gal/100 gal water | 4 | 0 | |
| MODE OF ACTION: Unknown. A botanical insecticide. | ||||
| COMMENTS: Apply with sufficient water carrier to provide complete coverage. Most effective when applied before mites and eggs are present in large numbers. Repeat applications on 7- to 21-day intervals until mite pest pressure is over. Oil sprays need to be applied frequently to achieve acceptable control, however, frequent applications of oils can damage the plant and compromise fruit yield. | ||||
| K. | COTTONSEED/CLOVE/GARLIC OILS# | |||
| (GC-Mite) | 1 gal/100 gal water | 0 | 0 | |
| COMMENTS: Good coverage is essential for control; the use of a spreader/sticker may improve contact and efficacy of treatment. Oil sprays need to be applied frequently to achieve acceptable control, however, frequent applications of oils can damage the plant and compromise fruit yield. Apply no more than once in a 7-day period. | ||||
| L. | ROSEMARY/PEPPERMINT OILS# | |||
| (Ecotec) | 1–4 pt | |||
| MODE OF ACTION: Contact including smothering and barrier effects. | ||||
| COMMENTS: The potential for phytotoxicity has not been fully evaluated. Growers are encouraged to test product or product mixes for phytotoxicity before field applications to determine safety margins. Danger of phytotoxicity is greater when used at higher rates and when temperatures are warm. Do not apply in less than 50 gal water/acre. No residual activity, so repeat applications at 10-day intervals while mite numbers are increasing. | ||||
| M. | STYLET OIL | |||
| (Organic JMS Stylet Oil)# | ||||
| (JMS Stylet Oil) | 72 fl oz in 75 gal | 4 | ||
| MODE OF ACTION: Contact including smothering and barrier effects. | ||||
| COMMENTS: The potential for phytotoxicity has not been fully evaluated. Growers are encouraged to test product or product mixes for phytotoxicity before field applications to determine safety margins. There is a danger of phytotoxicity when oils are applied incorrectly, especially under conditions of high temperature and low humidity; not recommended for use in Southern California. Use of ceramic spray nozzles is recommended by the manufacturer. Make applications at a minimum pressure of 400 psi. Lower pressures lead to larger droplet sizes, increasing the potential for phytotoxicity. Only organic JMS Stylet oil is acceptable for use on organically certified produce. | ||||
| N. | BURKHOLDERIA sp. STRAIN A396# | |||
| (Venerate) | Label rates | 4 | ||
| O. | CHROMOBACTERIUM SUBTSUGAE STRAIN PRAA4-1# | |||
| (Grandevo) | Label rates | 4 | ||
| P. | BEAUVERIA BASSIANA # | |||
| (Mycotrol ESO, BotaniGard ES) | Label rates | 4 |
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What are the specks on strawberries?
What is it and where is it found? Strawberry black spot is an economically important disease of strawberries caused by the fungus Colletotrichum acutatum. The fungus can remain unobserved in strawberry plants until the crucial fruiting period.