Unexpected damage to strawberry foliage signals that various organisms are feeding on the plants. Identifying the specific culprit responsible for consuming the leaves is the first step toward protecting the patch. The method of consumption and the resulting damage pattern provide clear clues for identification. This article focuses on the diverse pests, from minute insects to larger mammals, that eat strawberry leaves and the telltale signs they leave behind.
Small Chewing Insects
The adult Strawberry Root Weevil (Otiorhynchus ovatus) is a common perpetrator, identified by its characteristic feeding pattern along the edges. These small, dark beetles create distinct, symmetrical notches around the leaf periphery, making the margin appear scalloped or serrated. Since the adults are exclusively nocturnal feeders, the damage itself is the primary evidence of their presence. This edge damage is highly localized and rarely extends into the central leaf lamina.
Flea Beetles leave behind numerous minute, circular holes scattered across the leaf surface. These insects jump readily when disturbed, making them difficult to catch in the act. The damage often looks like “shot-holes” and, when numerous, gives the leaf a perforated, sieve-like appearance. This specific pattern distinguishes them from larger pests that create expansive, irregular feeding areas.
Generalist caterpillars, the larval stage of moths and butterflies, cause larger, more irregular holes in strawberry leaves. These soft-bodied larvae chew through the entire leaf structure, often starting from the margin or creating large gaps between the veins. They frequently hide on the undersides of the leaves or near the crown of the plant during the day. Finding small, dark fecal pellets, known as frass, near the feeding site is a strong indicator of their activity.
Soft-Bodied Grazers
Soft-bodied mollusks like slugs and snails cause feeding damage characterized by highly irregular, asymmetrical holes. These grazers use a rasping mouthpart called a radula to scrape away plant tissue, resulting in ragged or patchy damage. They thrive in damp, cool environments and are most active at night or during overcast conditions. Slugs and snails are particularly attracted to tender, developing foliage and low-lying leaves.
The most definitive evidence of their presence is the silvery, iridescent slime trail left behind as they move across the foliage and soil. These trails confirm that the damage is not caused by insects or mammals. While young slugs may only create small pits or superficial grazing marks, mature individuals can consume significant portions of a leaf, sometimes leaving only the main veins intact.
Larger Grazing Animals
When damage to a strawberry patch is sudden and extensive, consuming entire sections of leaves or whole plants, larger mammalian grazers are the likely culprits. These animals cause destruction far beyond the localized chewing of insects, often targeting young, tender foliage and stems. The specific animal can be determined by examining the way the leaf or stem was severed.
Rabbits are notorious for causing clean, angled cuts to stems and leaves, utilizing sharp incisor teeth to shear off vegetation precisely. They tend to feed on lower leaves and young shoots, often consuming the entire plant down to the crown. Finding small, spherical droppings nearby, along with the precise nature of the cut, helps identify rabbit damage.
In contrast, white-tailed deer lack lower incisors and must tear vegetation against an upper dental pad, resulting in a ragged, uneven break on the leaf or stem. Deer damage is usually found higher up on the plant canopy and affects a wider area due to their size and reach. Voles and mice, being much smaller, primarily feed on lower leaves near the ground.