What's eating my strawberries?

Strawberries are attacked by a wide range of pests in the garden. Birds and slugs are the most damaging at fruit stage. Vine weevil grubs destroy roots. Aphids spread viruses and weaken plants. Spider mites scorch foliage in dry summers. In the UK, grey squirrels are also a common fruit thief. Netting is the single most effective defence.

Ripe berries pecked open or entire fruits removed overnight; in the UK blackbirds are the primary culprit. Cover plants with fine-mesh netting (at least 1 cm mesh) supported on hoops from flower set through harvest; remove netting during pollination hours if possible.

Large ragged holes in ripe and unripe fruit; slime trails on berries and mulch; worst in wet weather and on straw mulch. Raise fruit on straw or fleece collars; apply iron phosphate pellets (safe around pets and wildlife); hand-pick at dusk; use copper tape barriers around raised beds.

Notched leaf margins from adult beetles; in autumn and spring, creamy C-shaped grubs chew through roots, causing sudden plant collapse. Apply pathogenic nematodes (Steinernema kraussei) to moist soil in late summer or early autumn; use nematode-compatible compost; inspect and destroy grubs when repotting.

Distorted young leaves; stunted runners; the strawberry aphid is a major vector of strawberry viruses that reduce yield over time. Encourage ladybirds and lacewings; apply insecticidal soap or pyrethrin spray; remove heavily infested leaves; replace virus-affected plants with certified virus-free stock.