Strawberry sap beetles are a common pest that can ruin strawberry crops that are about to ripen. These tiny beetles eat ripe and overripe strawberries, ruining their look and making them rot. If you don’t do anything, sap beetle damage can quickly get worse, ruining a big part of your harvest.
It will take time to get rid of sap beetles in your strawberry patch, but it is possible with careful monitoring and a mix of natural pest control methods. This article will show you how to spot strawberry sap beetles, explain why controlling them is so important for your crop, and give you natural ways to get rid of them.
Identifying Strawberry Sap Beetles
The first step is confirming that sap beetles are indeed the culprits damaging your ripening strawberries Look for these key signs
Tiny dark beetles less than 1/8 inch long on ripe or damaged berries
Small, round holes bored into the sides of fruits
Tunneled cavities with brown frass inside berries
Shriveled, decaying berries with sap beetle larvae inside
Adult sap beetles are oval, flattened bugs that are dark brown to black. They have short wing covers and antennae that end in clubs. They like fruits that have been damaged by other pests because they can eat and lay eggs in the dead tissue. Then, their larvae dig deeper into the fruits, doing more damage inside.
Why Sap Beetle Control is Critical
At first glance, sap beetle damage may seem minor. However, without control measures in place, sap beetle populations can increase exponentially, progressively ruining more and more of your harvest. Here’s why diligent sap beetle control is so important:
They rapidly reproduce, with each female laying dozens of eggs
Feeding and egg-laying causes accelerated fruit decay
Larval tunneling can destroy whole fruits from the inside out
Damage makes fruits unmarketable due to poor appearance
They may transmit fruit rotting fungi as they feed
Controlling sap beetles promptly keeps your strawberry harvest sellable and prevents population explosions that can be difficult to manage
Effective Organic Methods to Control Sap Beetles
Here are a few of the best natural ways to get rid of sap beetles in your strawberry patch:
Remove Infested Berries
Check ripe berries daily and discard any with sap beetle damage
Remove and destroy overripe or rotten fruits that attract sap beetles
Bury discarded fruits deep or seal in plastic bags to kill larvae inside
Use Traps
Set out traps with fermenting baits like wheat dough, vinegar, or ripe fruits
Place traps along patch edges to intercept incoming beetles
Empty and refresh baits every 2-3 days for continued effectiveness
Maintain Diligent Harvesting
Pick berries daily as they ripen to avoid overripe fruits
Wash off berries immediately after picking to remove eggs/larvae
Keep ground and plants free of debris to eliminate hiding spots
Apply Row Covers
Cover rows with lightweight fabric row covers to exclude beetles
Secure edges tightly with soil or rocks to prevent entry
Remove covers when berries ripen to allow pollination
Use Kaolin Clay
Spray fruits with kaolin clay coatings which deter sap beetle feeding
Reapply after rainfalls to maintain protective barriers
Follow all label directions when applying to edible crops
When Pesticide Use May be Warranted
While organic control methods are ideal, sometimes pesticides are needed to quickly knock down heavy sap beetle infestations. Consider chemical control options if:
Trap crops and sanitation fail to protect ripening fruits
More than 10% of your crop shows sap beetle damage
Infestations persist as harvest reaches its peak
Removal of damaged fruits cannot keep pace with new damage
If pesticide application is necessary:
Treat at first signs of damage, before fruits are ripe
Select targeted, low toxicity products labeled for strawberries
Carefully follow all label instructions for dosage and timing
Combine with non-chemical methods for most effective control
The key is being vigilant, scouting for early signs of sap beetle damage. Promptly removing infested fruits, maintaining cleanliness, and using row covers and traps can keep sap beetle populations in check. But sometimes pesticides may be needed to avoid substantial crop losses when dealing with heavy infestations.
Preventing Future Sap Beetle Issues
Once you get an active sap beetle infestation under control, focus on prevention to avoid recurrent issues:
Install row covers early, before fruits start ripening
Eliminate weeds, debris, and alternate beetle hosts around your planting
Apply kaolin clay coatings preventatively
Maintain a strict harvest schedule, picking all ripe fruits daily
Scout regularly and take action at the first sign of damage
Rotate strawberry planting sites each year to disrupt pest cycles
With diligent monitoring and a combination of organic control methods, you can keep strawberry sap beetles in check and enjoy bountiful harvests of beautiful, damage-free berries. Don’t allow these tiny pests to take over your strawberry patch!
To eliminate spittlebugs on strawberries, start by blasting them off with a strong stream of water from a hose. If the infestation is severe, consider using insecticidal soap or neem oil, but always test a small area first to ensure it doesn’t harm the plants.
How to keep sap beetles away?
Sap beetles are attracted to fermented plant juices and damaged corn. Do not let corn become overripe and rot in the field. Remove overripe or damaged corn quickly and keep cull piles away from the field. If possible, avoid planting near fruit or vegetable dump sites or compost areas.
” alt=”how to get rid of strawberry sap beetles” align=”center” />
Sap Beetles in Florida
There are more than 4,500 species of sap beetles, with about 165 species in North America. Twenty-one genera have been reported in Florida including Carpophilus, Stelidota, Glischrochilus, and Epuraea (Myers 2001). Species in these genera are typically the most problematic agricultural pests. In Florida strawberries, Potter et al. (2013) found 9 species in seven east Hillsborough County fields (Plant City, FL). These species in order of abundance are Epuraea (= Haptoncus) luteolus, Lobiopa insularis, Carpophilus fumatus, Carpophilus humeralis, Carpophilus freeman, Stelidota geminata, Stelidota ferruginea, Carpophilus mutilates, and Colopterus insularis.
Approximately 94% of the sap beetles were the top three species: E. luteolus, L. insularis, and C. fumatus; however, consideration must be given to all species. Correct identification should be followed by preventive methods to control damage by sap beetles.
Sap beetle adults fly into strawberry fields from surrounding fields or wooded areas. In temperate regions, flights occur after beetles overwinter and when strawberries begin to ripen as temperatures exceed 16°C (67°F) (Blackmer and Phelan 1995; Loughner et al. 2007). In Florida, sap beetles are common later in the harvest season, from February to March, when the weather gets warmer and fields full of pretty but damaged strawberries start to pile up (Price and Nagle 2013).
Both adult and larval sap beetles attack and feed on fruits. Longevity of adults is approximately 2 to 2½ months. A few hours after mating, eggs are usually laid on or under damaged or discarded fruit, although some species lay eggs in soil. After hatching from eggs, larvae burrow up into berries, feeding on the flesh for approximately 1½ weeks. Larvae then fall to the ground, burrow into the soil, and pupate. Sap beetles can find food in many places, but most of the time they eat fungus that grows on ripe and overripe plant parts, fruits, and other plant parts that are breaking down or ripening (Peng and Williams 1990; Myers 2001).
There are two types of damage inflicted by sap beetles: direct (feeding cavities or holes) and indirect (dissemination of microorganisms). Cavities also serve as egg-laying sites. Larvae inside strawberries usually go unnoticed until the fruit begins to decompose as a result of the damage. Because overripe strawberries are attractive to sap beetles, damage is often greatest during harvesting when pickers leave ripe and overripe strawberry plants in the field or if fruit is discarded in ditches or weedy field margins (Figure 4).
Sap beetles don’t usually hurt the economy when strawberries are picked in the field and sold right away. But when overripe strawberries are picked to be processed, sap beetles may get into the fruit and make it unsellable. Considering the ecology of sap beetles, the following practices are recommended.
If possible, avoid planting strawberry next to wooded areas. For fields next to wooded areas, monitoring when sap beetles are flying into fields is important for timing controls. Place pitfall traps (plastic cups buried flush with the soil surface and partially filled with soapy water) or “trap buckets” (an approximately 1 gallon bucket partially filled with soapy water and containing an 8 oz plastic cup with fermenting banana, strawberry or other fruit or bread dough placed in the bucket) outside field borders to intercept immigrating sap beetles.
Pick berries frequently, before they become overripe. Remove all damaged or overripe fruit from field areas, but do not dispose of them in weedy field margins, especially in hot weather. Picking and placing infested fruit into the row middles may be a reliable alternative method to reduce numbers of adults in the field (Potter 1995). Fruits decompose faster in between rows than sap beetles can complete their life cycles, thus interrupting their life cycle. Keep in mind that fermenting berries may attract sap beetles capable of migrating from long distances (Potter 1995). Similar sanitation practices should be done with other fruits and vegetables.
A nematode parasite of one sap beetle species has been documented (Dowd et al. 1995). A commercially-available beneficial nematode (Steinernema carpocapsae) (eg, Millenium, BASF Corp.) is effective against soil-dwelling stages of other beetle pests of strawberry and may provide suppression of sap beetles.
A small, parasitic wasp, Brachyserphus abruptus, has been reared from multiple sap beetle species, and reduced adult emergence by 99% when young sap beetle larvae were infected (Williams et al. 1992).
Apply recommended insecticides when conditions justify. Insecticides recommended to control sap beetles are Assail (acetamiprid), Brigade (bifenthrin), Danitol (fenpropathrin), and Rimon (novaluron) (Price and Nagle 2013). Rimon is an insect-growth regulator and is only effective against sap beetle larvae. Rimon may be tank mixed with one of the other listed products that is effective against adult sap beetles.
For biopesticides, products containing azadirachtin or neem oil (eg, Azatin, Neemix, Trilogy) will control larvae and pupae, and will repel and deter feeding by larvae and adults. Fungi that attack insects (entomopathogens) (eg, Mycotrol O, Naturalis, PFR-97) are effective against larvae after repeated applications and when relative humidity is high. Products containing pyrethrins may also be used.
Insecticide use is limited by frequent harvests and pre-harvest intervals indicated on labels for specific products. Application(s) should be made when sap beetle adults are first detected. Follow insecticide label instructions for best results.
Top 3 strawberry pests and what to DO about them
FAQ
How do I get rid of strawberry sap beetles?
Baited traps are sometimes recommended for mass-trapping strawberry sap beetles. Baits can include various plant products that emit a fermenting or rotting odor. Whole wheat bread dough was used by Rhainds and English-Loeb (2002).
How do you get rid of strawberry beetles?
Caulk and seal the outside of the house to keep these pests out is the best long-term way to get rid of them. The best method of controlling the weevils inside the home is to vacuum them up.
How to get rid of spittlebugs on strawberries?
To eliminate spittlebugs on strawberries, start by blasting them off with a strong stream of water from a hose. If the infestation is severe, consider using insecticidal soap or neem oil, but always test a small area first to ensure it doesn’t harm the plants.
How to keep sap beetles away?
Sap beetles are attracted to fermented plant juices and damaged corn. Do not let corn become overripe and rot in the field. Remove overripe or damaged corn quickly and keep cull piles away from the field. If possible, avoid planting near fruit or vegetable dump sites or compost areas.
