Weevils are long-nosed pests of strawberries and raspberries.

Meet the garden pest

The raspberry-strawberry weevil lives everywhere where strawberries and raspberries grow.
The agricultural pest is black in color. Its small oval body, reaching a length of 2-3 mm, is covered with small gray bristles. The small head is elongated into a long proboscis and is equipped with club-shaped antennae consisting of seven segments. The hard elytra have faint grooves. Experienced gardeners and novice hobbyists are interested in the question of which order the strawberry weevil belongs to. The pest belongs to the order of Coleoptera beetles from the weevil family. Immature insects overwinter in last year's plant remains, under fallen leaves and in other secluded places. With the onset of spring, when the soil warms up to approximately 13°C, they begin to leave their wintering grounds. Determining what the raspberry pest feeds on is not difficult. At this time, strawberries begin to grow, which is the favorite food of beetles. They gnaw right through the young shoots of the crop, and when the first buds appear, they damage them and feed on unripe anthers.

Strawberry weevil

Description of the problem

Externally, the raspberry-strawberry weevil is a small black-grayish beetle with a characteristic elongated proboscis. This insect begins to show its activity in the spring, as soon as the garden strawberries wake up from winter sleep. Usually the air temperature by this time stabilizes at around +12 to +14 C.

The greatest danger is posed by females, who quickly increase the total number of pests in the area. The peak of these insects occurs during the phenophase of bud release. At this time, the beetles mate, the female eats a hole in the bud and lays an egg inside, after which she gnaws the peduncle.

Upon visual inspection, you will see that the buds seem to have been cut off by someone. Sometimes they can adhere to the remains of plant tissue. Each female can damage from 20 to 35 buds.

After 2-3 days, the damaged bud with the egg laid in it turns brown. It takes about 1 month for the larva inside to form. In appearance, it is a half-bent white worm without legs with a characteristic yellowish head.

A new generation of raspberry-strawberry weevils from larvae is formed towards the end of strawberry fruiting (late June - early July). Their main food is the leaves of the plant. Characteristic little holes appear on them, and the pulp of the leaf is mercilessly eaten away. After the beetles “get fat” for 15-20 days, they settle down for the winter. The next season the process repeats again.

Early varieties of strawberries are most vulnerable to the weevil. The pest spoils their central buds, where the largest berries should have formed. In total, about 50-60% of all buds may be infected. In late-ripening varieties, buds of the 2nd and 3rd orders are usually damaged.

By the way, it’s not for nothing that the name of this insect contains two descriptive words – “strawberry” and “raspberry”. Strawberries bloom earlier. The weevil first lays eggs on this crop, and then reorients itself to raspberry flowers growing nearby.

This pest is most active on old neglected strawberry, strawberry and raspberry plantations.

Reproduction

Approximately a month after active saturation, strawberry weevils, having reached sexual maturity, begin the mating process. The female begins to lay eggs from mid-May, and this period lasts for a month.

Initially, the beetles lay eggs on flowering strawberries. The weevil pierces the side of the bud and lays one egg in it. Then it seals the hole with excrement and prudently gnaws the peduncle. After a few days, the buds turn brown and fall off. The embryo inside develops within seven days. Due to the short budding period of strawberries, the flower beetle weevil moves to later varieties, and then to raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.

Interesting!

The damage caused by just one female is estimated at fifty damaged buds of a delicate berry.

After seven days, legless dirty gray curved larvae with a yellow-brown head emerge from the eggs, which can cause enormous damage to berry crops. They feed on the contents of the buds. This is where their pupation occurs. If this part of the plant is not on the ground, the larvae die. The development of the pupa takes seven to nine days. The young strawberry-raspberry weevil appears in mid-July and begins to actively feed on young leaves of strawberries, raspberries, as well as their late ovaries and unripe green berries. When the air temperature drops to 10-12°C, they go to winter, hiding in the upper layers of the soil or under fallen leaves.

Strawberry weevil larvae

Depending on weather conditions, the duration of the entire period of formation of young individuals can last from 25 to 45 days. The strawberry weevil in the photos posted on the site will allow you to familiarize yourself in detail with the pest and the main phases of its development.

Features of the appearance of raspberry-strawberry weevils

The body length of raspberry-strawberry weevils does not exceed 2-3 centimeters. The body is oval, the rostrum is elongated with geniculate antennae.

The eggs of these pests are 0.5 millimeters in length. They have a round shape and white color. The larva of the raspberry-strawberry weevil is 3.5 millimeters in length. The color is grayish-white. The body of the larva is curved. There are no legs.

The white pupa reaches 3 millimeters in length. Over time, the color of the pupa becomes brown.

Raspberry flower beetle or raspberry-strawberry weevil (Anthonomus rubi).

Signs of a harmful beetle in the garden

The main symptoms indicating the presence of weevils on berry crops include the following characteristic phenomena:

• small diameter holes or punctures on early strawberry foliage;
• browned berry buds;
• a large number of fallen, as if cut, inflorescences;
• on the bushes you can see overcrowded buds hanging on a dried stem.

The presence of at least one of these phenomena indicates that the strawberry weevil has settled in the garden plot

Strawberry weevil - features and measures to combat the pest

The strawberry weevil is a dangerous pest that can completely destroy a crop. It is also called raspberry-strawberry, since one type of parasite lives on these two plants, as well as on strawberries, blackberries and even rose bushes. It is dangerous both at the mature and larval stages - the beetles feed on leaves and young shoots, and then lay eggs in the buds, thereby causing irreparable damage to the crop. There are several ways to deal with weevils on strawberries, strawberries, raspberries and other plants - all you have to do is choose the most suitable one and start acting.

Protective and preventive measures against beetles

To save plantings of strawberries, raspberries and other berry crops from the voracious beetle, care should be taken to create conditions on the site that are unfavorable for its existence. Experienced gardeners recommend taking the following precautions:

• regularly dig up the rows to destroy beetles hiding for the winter;
• avoid dense, unkempt areas;
• renew raspberry and strawberry plantings by removing old plantings;
• periodically inspect the plantings and shake off crawling raspberry weevils until the end of the harvest;
• if possible, plant early varieties of strawberries and strawberries;
• the raspberry weevil does not tolerate the pungent odors of Chernobrivtsev, lilies of the valley, nasturtiums and garlic, so they can be planted next to the berry garden;

  
  Plants from strawberry weevil

• remove and burn all garden waste in spring and autumn;
• destroy damaged shoots and leaves;
• try to attract the natural enemies of the weevil, ground beetles, into the garden, which are capable of destroying up to twenty-five beetles each per day.

These and other preventive control measures will reduce the risk of garden plot infestation with dangerous agricultural raspberry pests.

All means are good in the fight: chemicals

Proven control methods involve the use of chemicals. You need to spray them in the morning. Avoiding windy days to avoid rapid drying of the drug. The most effective way to combat raspberry weevils is to treat both the bushes themselves and the soil space underneath them. This could be Novaktion, Bona Forte, Kinmiks, Fitoverm, Actellik, Iskra M, Karbofos-500, etc.

An effective, time-tested drug

Attention! Crops must be processed after harvesting all the fruits. This does not allow the remaining living insects to hide for the winter. Fruits from bushes that were last treated with insecticides can be eaten only after 20 or 30 days.

Radical means of combating weevils

If all preventive measures have not brought the expected result and the beetle continues to dominate the garden, then you should move on to more effective means of exterminating the pest. The fight against strawberry weevil involves the use of chemicals or safe folk remedies. To get the maximum effect, you need to know at what time to treat plants. The fight against the beetle must begin when the pedicels have already formed and risen, but the buds have not yet separated. At this time, the greatest concentration of insects is observed on berry crops, and they are available for a wide variety of drugs.

People's recommendations

The raspberry weevil can be destroyed using solutions prepared using means available to everyone. The following recipes have worked well:

• infusions of tobacco, garlic, mustard or laundry soap are used during the formation of buds;
• a decoction of walnut leaves is used to spray plants before flowering;
• It is recommended to treat bushes and the ground under plantings with wormwood solution;
• an infusion of capsicum gives a good result, but requires strict adherence to proportions;
• a decoction of tansy with the addition of laundry soap.

The given recipes make up a small part of the means that gardeners use to kill beetles.

Chemicals

Preparations for strawberry weevils
How to fight weevils using insecticides is described in detail in the instructions for each drug. Manufacturers recommend using a large number of different preparations to treat berry crops. The following will help protect raspberry bushes from weevils and preserve the harvest:

• Kemifos;
• Fufanon-nova;
• Iskra M;
• Novaktion;
• Fitoverm;
• Agravertine.

The most commonly used for spraying strawberries is:

• Fufanon;
• Kemifos;
• Alatar;
• Inta-virom.

Knowing where the strawberry weevil lives, it is necessary to carefully process all plantations of berry crops in accordance with the recommendations set out in the instructions.

Control measures

If weevils appear on the site, you need to get rid of them urgently. One female can lay up to 50 eggs per season, which turn into adults in the second half of summer. Weevil control in spring, summer and autumn includes mechanical and chemical methods. You can also use simple folk remedies.

Mechanical methods

The first rule on how to preserve the harvest is not to plant strawberries and raspberries in neighboring beds. It is better to place these crops at different ends of the plot, and also to choose varieties of strawberries and wild strawberries with the shortest flowering period.

Other mechanical pest control measures include:

• manual collection and destruction of beetles;
• collection of fallen buds and subsequent destruction - they may contain larvae;
• autumn digging of soil under bushes;
• collecting fallen leaves after harvest.

An effective way to control weevils is with traps. You can prepare them yourself using available ingredients. For 500 ml of water, take 50 g of yeast and 100 g of sugar, leave the mixture in a warm room until the first signs of fermentation appear. Next, the solution is poured into containers with a narrow neck - once the beetles fall into the trap, they will no longer be able to get out of it.

Chemical methods

To kill pests, there are special preparations on sale - insecticides. Modern products are developed taking into account the type of plants and parasites, have minimal impact on the quality of the crop and are suitable for home use. Treatments should be carried out 7-10 days before the start of strawberry flowering, when the first buds begin to appear. This way, the components of the products will not damage the flowers or jeopardize the future harvest. When working with chemicals, you should follow safety rules, wear protective suits, gloves and face masks.

Strawberries can be treated against weevils in spring and summer with the following preparations:

• Karbafos, Metafos are simple and affordable options, but they act for a short time and destroy insects only when they come into direct contact with them;
• Inta-Vir is a broad-spectrum drug that poisons beetles and blocks their nervous system;
• Nemabakt (analogs - Fitoverm, Akarin) is a biological protection agent containing a nematode that destroys insects, and is applied routinely to the soil at any time of the warm season.

If strawberry weevils appear during the flowering period of plants, it is better to collect them by hand. Using insecticides can harm the bees that pollinate flowers.

Traditional methods

Folk remedies for weevils on strawberries, strawberries and raspberries are safer than store-bought insecticides.

They can be prepared from simple ingredients that can always be found on the farm.

1. The simplest method is to plant beds of garlic and onions around the berry bushes. The smell of these plants will repel weevils.
2. Wood ash is not only a valuable fertilizer, but also a popular insecticide. It can be scattered around bushes or beds, and also diluted in water for irrigation.
3. An infusion of tansy and calendula also repels pests. It is sprayed on the leaves and buds of plants, and also applied to the soil. Fern grass has a similar effect, so it can be placed around the bushes.
4. Garlic infusion is one of the most popular ways to combat pest beetles. 100 g of garlic pulp is infused in 10 liters of water for a week. Then the plants are sprayed with it. You can add 2 tablespoons of boric acid to the mixture.
5. Regular potassium permanganate is also used in the garden. It is enough to dilute 5 g of dry raw materials in a full bucket of water. Distribute over the soil surface, leaves and buds. Instead of potassium permanganate, you can take 300 g of ground hot pepper.

The strawberry weevil is common in temperate climates. If it appears on the site, it will quickly continue to multiply, destroying cultivated plants. If you intervene in time, you can forget about the beetles and get a high-quality harvest.

Fight against codling moth, raspberry gall midge, apple blossom beetle

We have not discussed all the pests, because many of them cannot cause any harm in small private gardens, but only cause modest damage. In our gardens, as a rule, an abundance of different crops grows mixed together, and this makes the garden resemble a wild forest in terms of the number of different insects: here many pests are destroyed naturally.

So, in the forest on raspberries you will not find raspberry stem gall midge (round growths at the base of the stem), and on an apple tree you will not find the codling moth. There are relatively few of them in our gardens. In industrial gardens, these pests can multiply en masse.

The gall midge often ends up on the site along with purchased raspberry seedlings from the nursery, where it lives more than at ease (no one fights it there: what fool would cut out and burn shoots that can be sold?), and for several years it can “rage” ” in your raspberry garden, and then gradually goes away. Cutting out and burning every single affected stem significantly speeds up its care.

The codling moth is difficult to destroy chemically, as it produces many generations over the summer, and you will have to spray endlessly. A simple way to reduce its population is not to leave the carrion overnight, pick up the fallen apples and throw them into a barrel of fertilizer. (Again, in an industrial garden, this measure is impossible, but in our garden with single apple trees, it is quite feasible.) The fight against the codling moth is another reason to cut down dubious apple trees in the garden, small sour apples from which no one collects, and they lie under the carpet. trees, multiplying the codling moth.

The apple blossom beetle, which overwinters in the soil, can be covered with soil in the fall and removed in May. And having bought a car of peat, sand, crushed stone, store them under the fruit tree, which is why its productivity invariably increases: the codling moth, flower beetle and other pests are buried.

How else to protect strawberries

In addition to spraying and collecting insects, gardeners can protect their plantings by other methods.

Plants that repel pests

By planting calendula or marigolds around the berry beds, you can not only drive out weevils, but also decorate the plantings. The beetle does not like parsley, onions and garlic. These plants can also perform two functions at once: protect against the flower beetle and serve as food. When the stems are cut, a smell appears that forces elephants to change their place of residence.

In addition, insects cannot tolerate the aromas of lavender and tansy and prefer to avoid ferns.

Who are weevils afraid of?

To reduce the beetle population, you can attract birds to the garden. They happily eat bugs. In addition, ground beetles can also become assistants. Each of them eats about 25 weevils in one day. Pests are also afraid of spiders and predatory nematodes.

Homemade traps

Do-it-yourself traps with bait are effective in combating the strawberry flower beetle. To make them, you will need bottles, the inside of which should be coated with any vegetable oil. Bait is poured inside the vessel (a glass of sugar and 100 g of live yeast are diluted in a liter of water), approximately a quarter of its volume. The smell of this composition will attract insects, which, once in the bottle, will not be able to get back out. The containers will be placed on the beds. The bait should be renewed every three to four days. You can remove the traps after flowering has ended.

How to fight

Comprehensive methods of combating weevils include the following measures:

• Agrotechnical – loosening and plowing of the soil, isolation of infected crops, crop rotation, destruction of plant residues.
• Biological - involve the use of natural insecticides or the attraction of natural enemies of the pest beetle (birds, ants, wasps) to the site.
• Chemical – use of inorganic products, treatment of seed, soil, etc.
• Mechanical - collecting or shaking off beetles.

Their use depends on the characteristics of the species attacking the area.

What to treat in the spring?

1. Infusions of tobacco, garlic (200 g per 10 l of water) or hot pepper (500 g per 10 l). These products are used during the formation of buds.
2. Infusion of celandine and onion peel (1:2). Fill a three-liter container with the mixture and fill one third with boiling water. Strawberries are sprayed at the stage of flowering and ovary formation.
3. Decoctions of tansy, wormwood and mustard infusion with the addition of laundry soap (40 - 50 g of soap per 10 liters of liquid). It is used during the formation of buds.
4. Solutions of boric acid, potassium permanganate, ammonia.

The effect is enhanced by mulching the beds with ash and dry pine needles. In spring, it is recommended to treat the soil with an iodine solution (half a teaspoon per bucket of water). You can also spray the bushes with a solution of mustard powder, learn more from the video below:

How to get rid of biological products and chemicals

Chemical methods are rarely used, but sometimes you cannot do without them. So for large-scale quarantine measures they use:

• gas "Metabrom-RFO",
• drug "Foscom" in tablets.

For local lesions, contact insecticides that are quite safe for humans are often used:

However, such drugs kill not only weevils, but also beneficial pollinating insects and affect earthworms and birds.

Biopesticides are preferable because they act more specifically and provide excellent long-term protection. These drugs contain microorganisms that attack pests. For example:

• "Iskra Bio" based on avermectins, which cause paralysis in elephant beetles,
• "Nemabakt", containing a predatory nematode capable of destroying mower larvae in the ground.

Biopesticides are absorbed by the plant without causing harm to it or the environment.