The rolly pollies (pill bugs) and ants are eating all my strawberries!

[aee96]

I never knew what rolly pollies ate - but apparently nice ripe strawberries are on the list. The ants are also taking a bunch of them.

I harvested 5 strawberries for myself yesterday and had to throw about 20 to the chickens (they were happy of course). I just can't seem to win. I put mulch around them all hoping that would keep the strawberries off the ground and slow down the assault. It has not done much good.

I guess I'm going to have to resort to chemical means.

Is there a good organic something that would let me have my strawberries bug free?


aee96

 

[patandchickens]

It helps some, vs pillbugs, to remove all mulch. (Yes, this means that watering and weeding become a greater chore). Dunno bout ants, never had ant problems with strawberries myself.

A strawberry would have to be pretty totally eaten away for me to discard it to the chickens, though. I grew up on "the whole, perfect ones you eat while you're picking, the ones you had to cut away some damage you use for strawberry shortcake [for which, at least in my family, they were going to get cut into pieces anyhow]". Same way as you would use the useable parts of funky apples for applesauce or pie.

JME, good luck,

Pat

 

[HiDelight]

One of my raised beds is full of them! I was watching those little monsters eating my radishes as I was pulling them! so put radishes on the list of what they eat too! ... they are chowbugs that is for sure ..my kids called them dweedle bugs when they were little

I am going to try putting my chickens in the bed in a tractor when the peas are done and let them feast away..if anything can reduce the population my hens can they are relentless and love snacking on bugs!!! I picked some out of the dirt put them in a dish and they fought over them! so I think it is the best idea right now

wish me luck and good luck to you too! I hope they do not get my strawberries they are just starting to turn


ps I have no mulch in the bed darn it I wish it were just that . ... the bugs are in so that will not work for me sadly I am just going to give the bed to the chickens and let them have at it I guess it is good for the bed to reast for a few months and i can save it for fall planting ..they can scratch and poop and eat the bugs ....but I am glad it is only one bed! I have 16 and it would be horrid if they were all infested!


I am going to see what I can find besides chickens and chemicals to get rid of them

 

[wifezilla]

Earwigs and pillbugs love my garden. So far spreading DE seems to be helping. I still find them, but not nearly the number I had before the DE. I found a nest yesterday and the ducks were following me around while I weeded. They took care of them for me in seconds

Shelley, my 2 week old Welsh Harlequin, is pretty smart. She figured out that the shiny thing I had in my hand when plunged in to the dirt often meant treats. She started crouching by my hand waiting for me to dig, and then jumped in the hole to check for treats so she could get the bugs before the other two!

 

[vfem]

I have pillbugs in my garden...I didn't know they ate berries?! I thought they ate rotten vegitation!? I was told they were harmless... I need to rethink letting them be....

Ok, off to grab some pill bugs and throw 'em to the chickens... maybe those are what are eating my strawberries while I was treating for slugs!!!

 

[aee96]

Ok, off to grab some pill bugs and throw 'em to the chickens... maybe those are what are eating my strawberries while I was treating for slugs!!!

I thought it was slugs too. I put out some beer traps - didn't catch a single slug! It's the pill bugs and ants that are eating everything.

I'm going to try some DE and an organic spray of some sort. I've worked too hard to build these beds and have beautiful strawberry plants just to have the bugs eat them all.

aee96

 

[vfem]

I would soooooooo put DE out, but its been pouring rain for days... and a storm is coming through tonight and another tomorrow night. I can't treat until at least Saturday when everything dried out!!!

I've got aphids out the wahzoooooo on my coneflowers, and cucumber beetles and larva in pots around my front porch....

I'm at a stand still while nature is blessing us with free water.

You can't win everything I guess?!

 

[aee96]

I'm at a stand still while nature is blessing us with free water.

You're lucky. We are approaching drought status here. We just can't seem to get consistent rain. We got like 8 inches at once back in April and barely anything since.

Oh well, I have to mow the yard less at least.

aee96

 

[vfem]

I'm at a stand still while nature is blessing us with free water.

You're lucky. We are approaching drought status here. We just can't seem to get consistent rain. We got like 8 inches at once back in April and barely anything since.

Oh well, I have to mow the yard less at least.

aee96

I will not complain because we've been in drought for the last 7-8 years until now. We need every wonderful drop we can get... even though its killed my melon sprouts!