Pest identification
What's eating my mignonette alpine strawberry?
Slugs and snails
Signs: Small berries partially or wholly eaten at ground level; seedling loss after transplanting if slug pressure is high.
Control: Iron-phosphate pellets applied in damp weather; beer traps; copper barriers around bed edges; avoid thick mulch against crowns.
Vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus)
Signs: Larvae sever roots below the crown; plants suddenly wilt, yellowing, and lift easily from soil with no intact root system.
Control: Biological nematode treatment (Steinernema kraussei) to soil in late summer when soil is above 5 °C; nematode drench into container compost.
Birds
Signs: Berries picked clean before fully ripe; Mignonette's tiny fruit is easily overlooked until large flocks cause noticeable loss.
Control: Lightweight mesh or fleece over the patch from flowering until harvest is complete.
Keep mignonette alpine strawberry pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
- What eats wild strawberry — the species this cultivar belongs to
- What eats mignonette alpine strawberry — our other guide for the same plant
- What's wrong with my plant? — the diagnosis apps compared
- Common mignonette alpine strawberry problems & fixes
- Mignonette Alpine Strawberry watering schedule
- Mignonette Alpine Strawberry light requirements
- Full mignonette alpine strawberry care guide
Mignonette Alpine Strawberry pests — FAQ
What is eating my mignonette alpine strawberry?
Mignonette alpine strawberry — a small-fruited woodland type — is most troubled by slugs attacking the low fruit and vine weevil grubs undermining plant roots. Birds take the tiny berries quickly. Botrytis thrives in humid conditions among dense foliage. Nematode treatments for vine weevil, iron-phosphate slug pellets, and thinning the canopy are the key defenses.
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on mignonette alpine strawberry?
Small berries partially or wholly eaten at ground level; seedling loss after transplanting if slug pressure is high. Iron-phosphate pellets applied in damp weather; beer traps; copper barriers around bed edges; avoid thick mulch against crowns.
How do I get rid of vine weevil (otiorhynchus sulcatus) on mignonette alpine strawberry?
Larvae sever roots below the crown; plants suddenly wilt, yellowing, and lift easily from soil with no intact root system. Biological nematode treatment (Steinernema kraussei) to soil in late summer when soil is above 5 °C; nematode drench into container compost.
How do I get rid of birds on mignonette alpine strawberry?
Berries picked clean before fully ripe; Mignonette's tiny fruit is easily overlooked until large flocks cause noticeable loss. Lightweight mesh or fleece over the patch from flowering until harvest is complete.