Our garden and vegetable garden are infested with various pests that feed cultivated plants or spoil the harvest. These pests also include the weevil, which will be discussed in the article. Known to everyone as a “barn pest,” it can also destroy green spaces, so you should learn more about the beetle in order to quickly and correctly destroy it.
Weevil: getting to know the enemy
The weevil, or “elephant beetle,” is an insect from the order Coleoptera. This is a small bug that is several millimeters long, but there are individuals up to 3 cm in length. The color and shape of each species varies, and since there are about 5 thousand species of weevil in the CIS alone, it is not possible to describe each one.
The family is divided into two broad subgroups: long-proboscis and short-proboscis.
Long-proboscis weevils. Beetles of this group are distinguished by a very large proboscis, which can reach the length of the body. This proboscis is used to pierce a larger layer of tissue. The larvae develop and feed inside the plant tissue. 
These insects are less dependent on absorbing nutritious juices from plants. They are more “universal”; their structure allows them to feed on both living vegetation and prepared food. planting material. The larvae develop in the soil. 
Did you know? Most weevils feed on plants, and only a few consume decaying organic matter as food.
The weevil lays a considerable “army” of larvae, which from birth begin to harm crops and plantings.
It is important to know not only what the weevil looks like, but also to recognize its larva. The beetle larvae are very small, colored White color with a brown head and noticeable jaws.
In appearance it looks like a small caterpillar, but the main difference from the “offspring” of butterflies is the absence of limbs. The larva has no legs.
Sometimes the larvae can be gray or brown in color. This is characteristic of weevil species whose larvae feed directly on the surface of the leaf. If a weevil larva develops in the soil, then plant roots serve as food for it.
Types of weevils and the damage they cause
You learned about what weevils eat from the last section, but each different type of beetle affects different crops. To properly deal with a pest, you need to identify it.
Why is the weevil so dangerous? This insect eats everything from roots to inflorescences. Both adults and larvae will harm your plantings. Even a small colony of trunk beetles can destroy an entire crop of strawberries, raspberries or apples.
Important! The granary weevil differs from the rice and corn weevil, which feed exclusively on the “profile” plant.
Fruit weevils. This group includes pest beetles fruit crops. They eat everything that grows on the tree, including the bark. Incredibly dangerous pests not only deprive the harvest, but also cause serious damage to the tree.
Important! Many fruit trees are at risk, such as apricot, quince, cherry plum, apple tree (apple weevil), pear, viburnum, peach and others.
This group also includes the Andean potato, oriental, common and striped weevil. 
Preventive and agrotechnical measures against the pest
It is quite difficult to take preventive measures against the pest if both fruit crops and vegetables grow on the site, since certain groups of plants will infect different kinds weevil.
The most dangerous pest of harvested crops is the granary weevil. To prevent the proboscis beetle pest from appearing in your storage unit, you need to follow the instructions.
- Before storage, products need to be heated or cooled, as the pest is afraid of sudden temperature changes.
- Good drying (the weevil loves wet grain).
- Complete cleaning of grain from debris and impurities, with which the beetle most often ends up in the barn.
- Pre-treatment of the premises with preparations based on hydrogen phosphide.
Important! The barn weevil does not like strong odors, so if the beetle is in a small warehouse, it can be driven away with garlic, lavender or bay leaf.
To prevent weevils that attack legumes from appearing on the site, you need to adhere to preventive measures:- during planting, carefully dig and loosen the soil to destroy the larvae;
- remove weeds from the site;
- carry out early sowing of legumes;
- delimit the site (plant perennials away from annual plants).
- Planting fruit crops away from wild plants in a well-drained location.
- Installing a “catching belt” on each tree during bud swelling. The bark is cut off from the trunk so that beetles cannot crawl inside the bast, and the cut area is wrapped with double-sided tape. Another option is paper coated with glue; such a “belt” effectively stops the movement of the pest along the tree. After flowering, the belt is removed and burned.
Important! The adhesive belt stops not only the weevil, but also beneficial insects, so you should not install it without a reason.
- Whitewashing with lime milk at the beginning of bud swelling. It is the crown of the tree that needs to be whitewashed, since whitewashing the root part of the trunk will not give any effect.
- Autumn cleaning of the trunk from old dead bark and whitewashing of bare areas.
It is important to understand that the weevil is most likely to visit areas that are not properly cared for. The presence of rotten residues, lack of sowing changes and too dense plantings lead to the appearance of a pest.
Mechanical method of fighting
The mechanical method makes sense when you are fighting pests on small plantings fruit trees or vegetable crops.
Did you know? Oral apparatus in weevils it is located at the very end of the tube and is very small in size. It is impossible for them to chew anything, so insects use it like a gimlet.
Fighting weevils with traditional methods
Folk remedies are another way to get rid of weevils.
After such control measures, the raspberry and strawberry weevil should leave the plantings.
Fruit weevils can be removed using decoctions and infusions.
- Infusion of field chamomile. You need to collect about 150 inflorescences and fill them with 10 liters of water. After a day, filter the infusion and add 60 g of laundry soap.
- Decoction from tomato tops. Immediately after flowering, tomato tops are collected (about 1 kg is needed for the decoction) and boiled in 10 liters of water for 30 minutes. Next, add 40 g of laundry soap to the broth and spray the fruit trees.
Important! Folk remedies for weevils should be used only in cases where the infectionNotis widespread. If the weevil multiplies faster than it dies from any means, then there will be no point in spraying.
To prevent the destruction of pea or bean plantings by weevils, you need to treat the legumes with the following infusion: put onion peels, garlic peels and pine needle branches in a large container; The container is filled with water and left to ferment for 2 weeks, after which it is diluted with water 1:10 and the plantings are sprayed. Treatment needs to be done once a week.
Most folk “medicines” contain bactericidal components (onions, garlic, pine needles), so you can use them to prepare your own infusions and decoctions if you did not find the desired type of weevil in this article.
Fighting weevils with biological methods
Biological control methods are the use of other animals or organisms that eat or drive the weevil out of the area.
Important! Biological method weevil control cannot be used in conjunction with chemicals, since most of the beetle’s natural enemies will be destroyed by the drugs.
It's worth starting with ants. There is a type of insect that is used to destroy weevils in plantings. However, it is worth remembering that ants can bring aphids to your site, so their benefit is rather questionable. Birds. Winged friends are always happy to help with the destruction of uninvited guests. In order for the birds to help get rid of the weevil, you need to place several feeders near the affected plants. This way you can not only enliven your garden with singing, but also get rid of a small pest population.
Ground beetles. This predatory insect eats not only weevils, but also other garden pests. In appearance, the ground beetle looks like a medium-sized beetle, which has a matte black color throughout its body. These beetles are very useful, but they are quite difficult to buy, so it is impossible to breed beneficial insects.
Did you know? There are about 70 thousand species of weevils in the world, and more and more species are discovered every year, most of which inhabit tropical countries.
Fighting with "heavy artillery": spraying with chemicals
Treatment with pesticides is reliable means getting rid of the weevil. You need to use pesticides only if your plantings are completely covered with weevils, or if this beetle destroys tons of harvested grain.
In any other cases, the use of “heavy artillery” is not recommended in order to avoid the total destruction of all living things on your site, poisoning the soil and fruits.
However, it is worth understanding that different cultures react differently to the pesticide.
The most affordable and effective insecticides:"Fufanon", "Kemifos", "Novaktion", "Alatar", "Pochin" (for the destruction of larvae), "Mospilan" and others.
In order for the insecticide to cause minimal harm to the plant, it must be used exactly as directed, since different crops require different dosages. Knowing who the weevil is and how dangerous it is, you need to promptly begin to completely destroy it or reduce its population.
We recommend not to use strong drugs in the event that the losses from the activity of the weevil are insignificant, it is possible to poison the entire crop or destroy all the microflora on the site. Use our tips to protect plantings and harvesting from weevils.
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Growing strawberries requires a lot of effort and patience. But growing strawberries is half the battle. It is also necessary to protect it from numerous pests (and there are plenty of people who want to eat strawberries). One of these dangerous insects, capable of destroying 50-80% of the entire crop, areweevils. Signs that your strawberries have been attacked by this enemy include: the appearance of small holes in the green leaves of the plant, sudden falling of flower stalks, drying out of the buds as if someone had cut them. In such situation complete victory You will no longer be able to defeat the beetle - time has been lost, and in order not to lose the entire harvest, you will have to thoroughly fight the weevil. To prevent such a situation, you need to prepare in advance, find out better what the weevil is and how to fight it on strawberries e.
Did you know? The family of weevils (elephant beetles) (lat. Curculionidae) has more than 70,000 species. The name of the beetle is associated with the long proboscis on the head (rostrum), with which the beetle pierces plant tissue, with the help of which it feeds and lays eggs. The weevil family is represented by a variety of sizes (from 1 mm to 50 mm), body shapes (round, flat, cylindrical, etc.), and colors. The larvae of some weevils live in the ground, while others live in flower buds. Each species has its own niche, its own tastes: some feed on forest plants, some on palm trees, some on garden crops, while others (for example, the granary weevil) feed on grains collected by people.
What does a strawberry pest look like?
More than 5,000 species of these beetles live in mid-latitudes. Among them, the greatest threat to strawberries is the raspberry weevil (lat. Anthonomus rubi). To successfully fight the pest, you need to know what the weevil looks like. The size of an adult beetle is small - up to 3 mm, the color of the chitinous cover is black-brown. The beetle is covered with short hairs and has wings, with the help of which it flies from plant to plant. Female weevils are much larger than males. The name of this type of weevil indicates its predilection - the beetle affects not only strawberries and strawberries, but also raspberries, blackberries, rose bushes and rose hips.
The mating period is one and a half months. During this time, one female can lay up to 50 eggs. The raspberry-strawberry weevil is a representative of the long-proboscis - it is more attracted to flower buds. It is in them that female weevils lay eggs (one in one bud), from which larvae hatch - thick white or cream worms (the head has a brown chitinous shell). After 20 days, pupation occurs. The soft, yellowish pupa has the rudiments of a cephalopod, wings, and legs. After a few weeks, the pupa turns into an adult beetle. The beetles overwinter in the ground in rotten leaves under a strawberry bush and become active again after the soil warms up to plus 13 degrees Celsius.
Did you know? What is a weevil? Weevil is one of the most dangerous pests, eating roots, leaves, stems, fruits of almost all known plants (including aquatic ones). Most of species of weevils live in the tropics. Global warming and human activity have led to the fact that many species of weevils, entering other regions along with imported products, acclimatize to new climatic conditions. A striking example is the red palm weevil from Southeast Asia, which became a disaster for France, Spain, Mexico, and even reached the Krasnodar region of Russia (in 2015, this pest destroyed many date palms in Sochi).
Harm from weevil
Overwintered beetles emerge from the ground and, waiting for buds, concentrate in the middle of the strawberry bushes, on the growing stalks and leaves. After the buds appear and mating, the female weevil damages the bud, lays an egg in it, and then the process described above occurs: larva, pupa, young beetle (approximately in mid-summer). As a result, the pest devours buds, flowers and stalks, and strawberry leaves. Only one female can damage 50 flowers. If there are a lot of pests, and the strawberry plot is small, then you can completely lose the crop. Weevils can switch from strawberries to raspberries.
Did you know? In 1920, in the USA, in the city of Enterprise (Alabama), a monument to the cotton weevil was erected. The monument was erected by farmers as a sign of gratitude after the boll weevil destroyed all cotton crops and devastated farms. After this, farmers abandoned monoculture and began to develop other industries Agriculture and got rich quickly.
Prevention and agrotechnical methods of pest control
The damage caused by the raspberry-strawberry weevil is so great that it is necessary preventive measures fight him. Preventing a pest from appearing is easier than trying to get rid of it later. Prevention should be done in the fall: after the end of the harvest, it is necessary to cut off all the leaves of the strawberry bushes, weed the weeds, and treat them with an insecticide. If the leaves show signs of weevil damage, they should be burned.
In addition, the use of certain agricultural practices also contributes to the success of the fight against weevils:
- it is necessary to “spread” the raspberry and strawberry bushes on the site (both plants are equally affected by the pest);
- plant strawberry varieties with the shortest flowering period;
- remove buds and leaves damaged by the pest;
- apply regularly mechanical method fighting beetles - collecting beetles from bushes. It is best to do this in the early morning (after the night the beetles have not yet warmed up). In the evening, you can lay paper or film under the bushes (you can use a flat tray, etc.), and in the morning, lightly shake the plant and collect the beetles (then burn the paper, rinse the tray with water). Despite the labor intensity, the efficiency of this method is high;
- try to scare away the pest with the help of a strong aroma (plant garlic, onions, marigolds, etc. nearby), while it is necessary to periodically break off or trim the shoots to enhance the smell;
- dig up the soil for the winter, mulch pine needles or dark dense film.
Experienced gardeners, when answering how to deal with weevils on strawberries in the spring, advise setting up traps for weevils. For this, a special mixture is prepared: 200 g of sugar and 100 g of yeast per liter of water. This mixture ferments in warmth. It is then poured into glass containers with a narrow neck. Traps are placed among strawberry bushes during flowering (the mixture must be changed every three days). A simpler (but no less effective) solution would be to use a trap made of a piece of cloth (burlap) on a hot afternoon and corrugated cardboard above. Hiding from the heat, weevils hide under corrugated paper, and the gardener can only remove them (along with the paper)
Important! When deciding how to get rid of weevils on strawberries, you need to remember that more important factor It will not be what method you use to fight the pest, but the time period in which you begin this fight. There is no one-time remedy - you will need to apply several strikes when the weevils are most vulnerable.
Fighting with folk remedies
One of the advantages of folk remedies for pest control is the ability to use them at any period of vegetative development of strawberries without harm to the plant. Traditional methods require repeated repetition - they are easily washed off when watering or during precipitation. By efficiency folk remedies They are very different from the weevil on strawberries, so it is better to use proven ones.
Popular spraying of strawberry bushes:
- mustard solution (100 g of dry mustard per 3 liters of water);
- solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 liters of water);
- infusion of hot capsicum (1 kg of fresh red pepper per 10 liters of water, leave for two days, then boil for 10 minutes and leave for another two days. Store in a hermetically sealed container);
- during the period of bud formation - with an emulsion of mustard and laundry soap (10 liters of water, 200 g of soap, 200 g of mustard);
- tansy infusion (evening): 1.5 kg of fresh tansy per 5 liters of water. Leave for 3-4 days, 30 minutes. boil, dilute 5 l cold water, before spraying, add 50 g of laundry soap;
- tobacco-garlic infusion;
- ammonia (2 tablespoons per bucket of water);
- solution from wood ash(3 kg), laundry soap (40 g) and 10 liters of water (during budding);
- decoction of bitter wormwood (slightly wither one plant, boil for 15 minutes in 4 liters of water, add 6 liters of cold water and 40 g of soap).
A good result is achieved by mulching strawberry bushes with ash in the spring, as well as watering with iodine solution (1 teaspoon per bucket of water).
Important! When asked when to spray strawberries against weevils, experts say that strawberry bushes should be sprayed only during budding, when buds are forming.
Treatment with biological agents
Safety for plants, humans and bees traditional methods biological means of pest control are approaching. They are environmentally friendly, do not pollute or accumulate in soil, plants, etc.
- beetle with characteristic external signs. His head is very elongated, so it resembles a small trunk. This is where its name comes from.
These beetles are widespread in tropical climates. There are about five thousand of their varieties on the territory of Russia. The vast majority are the worst enemies for gardens and vegetable gardens.
Description of weevils
In another article we covered the issue -. Another pest of strawberries is the weevil. The body itself is small - about three millimeters. It has a dark gray color.
Strange, but the weevil does not like ripe berries. But they may not even grow, because the beetle will damage the berry buds in advance. The larvae pose a danger not only to plants and crops, but even to trees. Beetles love to use coniferous plantings as food and home.
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Many summer residents are faced with pests that destroy crops and damage plants.
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Harm of weevils to the garden
The time of egg laying is the most dangerous for berry crops. During this period, the buds separate, and after that the female bites the stalk. This leads to drying out and death of the buds. So, up to half the harvest may be lost.
Scientists have proven that this pest loves male flowers strawberries, which are distinguished by long stalks.
Young weevils can be found in July. They eat leaves and nibble berries. And in the fall they go to sleep in the soil under a bush. Therefore, treat your strawberry bushes twice a year (in spring and summer).
The weevil beetle not only destroys strawberries, it also harms raspberries, currants, and strawberries. In addition to damaged and dried buds, you can also notice broken stems.
If you missed the processing time before the weevils appeared, then the situation can be saved. Treat strawberries before reproduction and young adults begin to emerge.
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How to treat strawberries against weevils?
The fight against beetles should be carried out long before the buds appear. Weevils cannot be tolerated cold air, during this period they are simply hibernating. Therefore, it is advisable to start processing when there is still snow in the yard.
It is better to spray for the first time a week before the buds begin to bloom. In mid-July you can repeat the procedure. This way you will protect your berries from new weevils, and the beetles will not have the opportunity to stay through the winter. Your future harvest will be under reliable protection.
An inexperienced gardener can get lost in the variety modern means for pest control. In addition, familiar gardeners can give a lot of advice based on their experience. How to do it right choice, don’t throw money away and save your harvest?
To do this, you can use the services of sanitary services. They will be the ones who will be able to correctly assess the problem and choose suitable way getting rid of bugs.
Chemicals
Many people resort to using chemicals. Such spraying should be carried out in spring and summer. It is very important to choose the right moment here.
This method of fighting is the most effective. The result can be secured by using fertilizer that is enriched with microorganisms. They prevent the appearance of not only weevils, but also other harmful insects. This will help not only save the fruits, but also make them more juicy.
The most popular spraying agents are Atellix, Inta-vir, Metafos, Karbofos. Antonem-F, Iskra-bio, Nemabakt, Akarin, Fitoverm are well suited for autumn and spring prevention.
Folk remedies
Many owners are wary of various types of chemicals. They prefer to use grandmother's proven methods. And there are a huge number of them.
Do not forget that after rain their effect loses its effect. Therefore, you will have to repeat the procedure often. But the most important thing is timeliness. By taking care of the fight against weevils in advance, you can preserve your harvest and get tasty fruits.
When to spray strawberries against weevil?
Weevils can overwinter well in the ground under strawberry bushes and emerge from hibernation when it is warm outside and the ground warms up to eight degrees.
At this time, the buds are just beginning to separate. Already in the very first buds, even unopened ones, the pest lays larvae and bites them. The pests subsequently eat the flower cores and then return to the ground to pupate.
Most of all they love to eat the buds of the largest berries. And, as a result, the most delicious part of the fruit is destroyed.
Most often, owners begin to sound the alarm when they notice shrunken and damaged buds. But it’s too late to fight, because by this time the weevils begin to eat the raspberry bushes or nearby weeds.
Then they come back to the strawberry bushes to feast on the new, young leaves. At the same time, dots (punctures) can be found on the leaves at this moment.
Is it advisable to process strawberries during flowering?
The most effective time for processing strawberries is when the snow melts. At this time, the soil is still cold, and the beetles are still hibernating. Water the soil with a water solution once a week.
When the buds begin to form, treat them with biological drugs. It is best to use products such as Iskra-bio or. Already two days after irrigation, you can eat berries without fear.
If you have not completed these manipulations, then there is no point in spraying strawberries during flowering.
Prevention
Preventive measures will allow you not only to save your harvest, but also to make it better:
- Trim the leaves in the fall.
- Get rid of weeds.
- Irrigate the soil using any insecticide.
- Periodically shake off the bugs onto a piece of newspaper.
- Break off bad buds.
- After you have harvested, treat the bushes.
- Just before the first frost, cover the strawberries using sealable black plastic. Let the strawberries warm like this until the end of spring. When the temperature under the film reaches forty degrees, you need to wait a week. Then you can remove it and get rid of the pest.
- In the fall, get rid of various plant debris.
- It is also recommended to dig up the soil in the beds during the autumn months.
Conclusion
There are plenty of ways to process strawberry bushes. Choose a method of combating weevils that is convenient for you. Remember that regular prevention of pests on your strawberries is the best way preserve your harvest and get tasty and ripe berries.
How to process strawberries in the fall so as to protect them in winter can be found in this article.
First of all, properly prepare the plantation for processing with the help of advice from experienced summer residents.
You need to know how to properly fertilize strawberries so that they grow without diseases. It is important to protect it from pests and various insects.
Let's protect strawberries for the winter with the help of special coverings.
Treatment of strawberries in the fall against pests and diseases is successful harvest in the future, ensuring strawberries are healthy for a long time.
After harvesting a good harvest, it is necessary to ensure good harvest and in the future tense. To do this, you need to treat the strawberry bushes and properly prepare them for winter.
The advice of experienced summer residents will help.
Preparation for processing
Before we start loosening, pruning and fertilizing, let's first prepare the plantation. What needs to be done? Read on.
Get rid of all dried leaves
Powdery mildew damages a large amount of greenery, which must first be removed. You can simply pick it off and trim it. Collect everything collected in one pile and burn it, otherwise the infection will adversely affect the strawberries.
Some summer residents believe that they should not violate natural processes and remove the leaves, but there are many opinions and based on the experience of many people, it is worth removing excess leaves.
You can conduct the following experiment: cut half of the plantation beds and remove the leaves, leave the other half. What comes out of this experience can be learned at the next harvest.
Leaves need to be trimmed very carefully. Use scissors to cut only the necessary blades without touching the stems. Get rid of all tendrils.
Replant bushes
This is done very rarely, approximately once every 6 years, depending on the care. When the time has come, you should move the rosette further away so that you will be pleased with the aroma of strawberries the next time you pick them.
How to fertilize correctly
Many summer residents forget that in addition to summer and spring, it is extremely important to fertilize the soil in the fall.
Pure organic approvals will not work as it can burn the leaves.
Here, common chicken droppings, humus or manure would be an excellent fertilizer.
Wood ash will also be an excellent soil fertilizer. It will also help as insect control. Place a handful under the bush.
In order to make live fertilizer from wood ash, you need to pour a glass of ash with ten liters of water and let it sit. Then divide and water each bush.
These are suitable mineral fertilizers such as superphosphates or potassium salt.
Important to know: no chlorine-containing substances. Strawberries don't like chlorine.
It is also important to remember to mulch the grass with straw or sawdust to ensure safety from large quantity weeds.
Nitrogen fertilizers are not suitable in the fall. They are used only in spring. Because of them, in the fall the plants may begin to grow very tall, which is undesirable.
We fight pests and diseases
From whiteflies and ticks
In the vastness of strawberry plantations, you can find pests such as whiteflies, strawberry mites or weevils.
Experienced summer residents advise fighting them with folk remedies.
This method works great:
For 10 liters of water at a temperature of 30 degrees, use 3 tablespoons liquid soap, vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons each of vinegar and ash.
Apply this solution to all soil, foliage, and bushes.
From weevil
How to get rid of weevils on strawberries using folk remedies
Who likes it chemical substances, and to whom folk ones. It’s up to the summer resident to decide, but folk remedies have been considered effective since ancient times. Let's consider methods of struggle.
Onion peel
We use a three-liter jar. We place onion peels and celandine there 2 to 1 per 1/3 of the jar. Pour boiling water over and strain. When the solution has cooled, spray the leaves. We repeat the process after 2 weeks.
Laundry soap
200 grams of soap per 10 liters of water. This solution is sprayed on strawberries during budding.
Mustard
Dissolve mustard powder in about 3 liters of warm water. Carry out the treatment at the same time as with laundry soap- during the budding period.
Potassium permangantsovka
For 10 liters of water – 5 grams.
Garlic
Infuse for a week in 10 liters of water - 100 grams of garlic, add pine extract - 400 ml. and boric acid about 2 tablespoons.
Covering strawberries for the winter
It all depends on the harsh winter temperatures, that is, on the terrain.
Shelter under spruce branches
If heavy frosts are expected, then you should cover the strawberries with spruce branches. A little later, in winter, cover it with snow on top.
Mulching
Another method is mulching.
There are many options here - straw, sawdust, hay, reeds, peat and others. All of them will create warmth for the strawberries and will keep them warm in the cold winter. The main thing is not to forget to remove the mulch in the spring so that the strawberries do not burn.
But mulching in this way has its disadvantages:
- The mulch needs to be renewed every year;
- Attracting all kinds of pests;
- Soil oxidation.
Polyethylene film
A good method for dealing with frost and frost, but it also has a number of disadvantages:
- Overheating of roots;
- Disruption of the work of earthworms, which favorably promote growth;
- Restriction of soil in the air;
- Limit the soil to plenty of water.
You can help strawberries survive winter stress by spraying them with a special stimulant Zirconium.
Black covering material
It is considered the most common and comfortable material for covering strawberries for the winter.
There are many myths about it not leaking water, but this only happens when it is new. Its suitability can be checked immediately and you can make sure that water flows in easily and without problems.
With the help of black covering material, strawberries will live for 3 to 4 years without any problems.
Some covering materials are sold with special holes for strawberries.
Other materials for covering strawberries
There are also white-black, yellow-black, white-red materials. What makes them special?
For example, yellow-black material differs in that yellow color All kinds of pests and insects are attracted, thereby protecting the plant. And the black color helps reduce weed growth.
How to deal with weevils in the spring when strawberries are ripening?
Who among us doesn’t like to enjoy fresh strawberries with own garden bed? A bright, juicy berry is a sweet reward for every gardener’s hard work. But what to do if a weevil pest has settled on your strawberries? In fact, the fight against weevils on strawberries is not at all difficult; it’s enough to know a few nuances.
Know the enemy by sight
The weevil is a small gray-brown beetle measuring 2.5-3 mm. Its body is covered with hairs, and on its head there is a long proboscis, for which it received the name weevil.
There are about 70,000 species of this pest on Earth, but only the raspberry-strawberry weevil affects strawberries.
Beetles overwinter under strawberry bushes in the remains of leaves and plants, and hide under clods of earth. In spring, when the snow melts and the air warms up to 8-15 °C. the weevil wakes up and moves onto the plant, feeding on the juice of strawberry or raspberry leaves.
Why is the weevil dangerous?
The most dangerous period is the period when the female lays eggs. It just coincides with the moment of separation of the buds. The female lays eggs in the first buds on the strawberry and then bites into the stem. After this, the bud dries out and falls off.
Thus, the beetle can destroy up to 40% of the strawberry crop. Moreover, this pest selects buds located in the very center, which produce the largest berries.
How to get rid of weevil?
Fighting weevils on strawberries is a painstaking task. You need to start it when the snow begins to melt. The air temperature is still too low, so the beetles are still hibernating under dry leaves. It's time to treat the soil with an iodine solution (half a teaspoon of iodine per bucket of water). We process every 10 days.
During the period of protrusion of strawberry inflorescences, about a week before flowering, insecticide treatment is carried out.
Will do " Inta-vir"(2.5 tablets per 10 liters of water). If there are too many pests, it is necessary to re-treat after harvesting in early August. 
You can also use biological control drugs " Nemabact" And " Anthonem-F“, they can be applied from early spring until late autumn. In early May, you can treat with drugs “ Spark-bio «, « Akarin" or " Fitoverm «.
Remember! If the weevil remains on the strawberries, it will soon move to the raspberries and vice versa.
If you don’t want to treat your garden with chemicals, there are other ways to combat weevils, for example, folk remedies:
- Infuse 100 grams of garlic in a bucket of water for a week, add 400 ml of pine extract and 2 tbsp. spoons boric acid and spray the beds.
- Spraying plants with a solution of potassium permanganate (5g per 10 liters of water) or tincture of capsicum is a very good repellent for beetles.
- Place fresh fern leaves under strawberry bushes.
- Water with tansy infusion. Since fresh tansy grows later than strawberries and raspberries, you will have to buy an infusion at the pharmacy.
- Treat in the spring after the appearance of young leaves with a solution ammonia(2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water).
- Plant onions and garlic around the affected plants; weevils cannot stand the smell.
The most important thing to remember is that it is still impossible to get rid of all the beetles with chemicals. Therefore, do not be lazy and shake weevils from the bushes onto the oilcloth or paper underneath. Don’t be sorry for spoiled buds either, they need to be broken off, they will no longer bring any benefit.
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