What's Eating the Strawberry Plants
Missing Strawberries, Nibbled Strawberries, Holes in Leaves - Something Is Eating the Strawberries
It's disheartening to start a strawberry patch and eagerly wait to pick those first plump, red berries, only to find out that some garden pest beat you to that juicy strawberry. Before you can take action to prevent the loss of your strawberries or the strawberry plants, you need to figure out what is eating them.
I'll show you what to look for, so you can determine which pest is pestering you and your plants. I'll also provide some deterrents, both humane and more lethal, so you can choose a way to save some of those luscious strawberries for yourself.
I hope you figure out with my tips who the culprit is and take steps to protect the strawberry patch.
(photo by Virginia Allain)
Missing Leaves and Stems?
Deer eat the leaves off the strawberry plants, leaving just the stems and the berries. You may notice deer tracks in the soil or in the mulch of the strawberry bed. It happened to me.
Here's a Clue - Deer Tracks
This Helps Keep Deer out of the Garden
Have the Deer Been in the Strawberry Patch?
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Dealing with Pests in the Strawberry Patch Naturally - Video from YouTube
Animals and Insect Pests in the Strawberry Patch - From large to small, there are many critters who like strawberries
- deer
- chipmunks
- squirrels
- turtles
- birds
- mice
- sow bugs
Have You Seen Sow Bugs in Your Strawberry Patch? - These are also called roly-poly bugs
As you pick the berries, raise up the green berries so they aren't right on the ground. This deters the sow bugs.
Graphic from Zazzle: Lone Sow Bug by freakyfrobro
Have the Sow Bugs Been in Your Strawberry Patch?
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Deal with Sow Bugs and Slugs
Slugs may not be that visible since they hide from the hot sun. Look under leaves and in shady, damp areas. A slug looks like a snail who has lost his shell.
One tip-off is seeing the telltale slime track that a slug leaves behind.
I use a simple container with water (use a can or a jar) and put dish detergent in it. Scooping up the slugs with a piece of cardboard or a kitty litter scooper is easy. Just dump them in the soapy water which kills them. Dump the container the next day and repeat the process with fresh water and detergent.
If you don't want to collect them this way, try something like this:
Have You Seen Slugs in the Strawberry Patch?
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Snakes Eating Strawberries? Turtles Do - Short Video - What's Eating My Strawberry Patch?
Turns out, I was wrong thinking that snakes didn't eat strawberries. A visitor to this page reported that both she and her neighbor had seen snakes eating their strawberries.
Look Around for Turtles or Tortoises
Will a Mouse Eat a Strawberry? - Here's Video Proof
Mice Are Afraid of Owls
Do Chipmunks Eat Strawberries?
I've seen them with my own eyes, not just snitching the strawberries, but sitting there nibbling away at one. They will even take the green ones once all the ripe strawberries are gone. I was picking all the half-ripe ones to try to forestall them, but even that didn't work once they started taking the green strawberries.
My husband even stomped around in the garden and waved his arms, but the chipmunk kept nibbling away. Finally as he got closer, the little fellow took his strawberry and ran off.
Video Proof That They Do
Here's What Deters Chipmunks from a Strawberry Patch - Capture Them in a Havahart Trap
Then take them far, far away. This is what works for me. I usually trap about 8 or 9 chipmunks each summer. Start early in the spring before they have their young, then you won't need to trap so many.
I Have More Tips for Getting Rid of Chipmunks
- Ten Humane Ways to Get Rid of Chipmunks
Chipmunks undermine decks and steps, chew on car wiring and cause other problems. Getting rid of them in a humane way is what most people want. Here are my recommendations. - Get Rid of Chipmunks - The Final Solution
Some people look just for humane solutions to pests, but if chipmunks are destroying your property, you need a solution fast. Here are some tested ways to clear out those destructive chipmunks.
A Squirrel with a Strawberry from My Patch
June 30, 2011
I ran out several times waving my arms. Finally I settled for a photo op and grabbed the camera. This is the resulting photo.
(photo by Virginia Allain)
My Tips for Getting Rid of Red Squirrels
- Get Rid of Red Squirrels
The American red squirrels cause an amazing amount of damage if they get inside a house or a vehicle. Here's the solution, actually a number of solutions for you to apply to your problem squirrels.
Are the Squirrels Eating Your Strawberries?
Vote here
© 2011 Virginia Allain
