What's eating my albion strawberry?

Albion strawberry, a day-neutral variety, is threatened by spider mites, slugs, and spotted wing drosophila across its long fruiting season. Strawberry blossom weevil clips flower stalks in the UK. Birds peck ripe fruit at ground level. The extended harvest window means pest pressure accumulates longer than on June-bearers.

Fine stippling on upper leaf surface; bronzed, dry foliage in hot spells; heavy infestations drastically reduce plant vigour and fruit size Introduce Phytoseiulus persimilis predatory mites as soon as the first mites appear; avoid broad-spectrum insecticides; overhead watering raises humidity unfavourable to mites

Eggs laid into ripe and over-ripe berries; larvae inside cause rapid softening and fermentation, making fruit unsaleable Harvest every two to three days to avoid over-ripe fruit; fine exclusion netting; spinosad or kaolin clay barrier sprays during peak adult flight

Irregular holes in ripe berries at ground level; slime trails on fruit and mulch; worst in wet, mild conditions Straw or plastic mulch to reduce slug habitat; iron phosphate pellets (safe around pets); copper tape around raised beds; collect manually at dusk

Peck into ripening fruit; individual berries riddled with holes; whole fruits removed from the plant Lay bird netting just above the plants on hoops; ensure netting reaches the ground so birds cannot walk underneath