Are There Holes in Your Strawberries?
Why Some Berry Growers Find Holes in Their Strawberries
So, you take excellent care of your strawberry plants, perhaps even go as far as growing them on elevated platforms to prevent pest infestations from hurting your strawberries. You don't see any pests at all. Why is it, then, that you see little tiny holes on all of your new strawberry plants? The answer may surprise you.
Strawberry Rootworms
If you don't ever see any pests on your strawberries, but you find little holes in your strawberry plants, chances are you have strawberry rootworms. Strawberry rootworms emerge in the spring and the adults lay eggs in the summer. The resulting larvae will feed on the roots of your strawberry plants and the adults will feed on the leaves.
Strawberry rootworms will do more than just cause little holes in the leaves of your strawberry plants. They'll actually reduce the amount of strawberries your plants produce. Because the rootworm larvae feed on the roots of your strawberry plants, your strawberries will eventually be affected and if left unchecked, they may eventually die.
How to Tell
If you want to tell whether or not you have strawberry rootworms in your strawberry garden, dig up one or two of the plants. If the roots seem much shorter than they should be, then it's a telltale sign that you have strawberry rootworms preventing you from growing a healthy crop of strawberries.
Kick The Worm to the Curb
How do you get rid of strawberry rootworms? Unfortunately, pesticide is really one of the only ways to get rid of them for good and pyganic is probably your best bet. However, there may be a natural remedy for strawberry rootworms that I haven't found yet. (If you know of any, make sure you let me know.) I always prefer natural pest control over chemical pest control, but I'll use chemical if and when I have to.