For the first time, we found Whitefly in our strawberry plants this year. But the population was typically low. Because the population was low, we were unable to determine if they were Greenhouse Whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum or Silverleaf Whitefly Bemisia tabaci, because you need to see the instars to distinguish.

Again, lots of treatment options listed in

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r734301011.html

But for biological control, Eretmocerus eremicus is one of the most effective as it will parasitize both of the commonly found whitefly in greenhouse. Like most whitefly parasitic wasps, this one also needs to be introduced every 2 to 3 weeks as it does not develop a sustainable population in the crop.

Another pest you will typically encounter are Thrips, like the Western Flower Thrips Frankliniella occidentalis.

Although you will see them on flowers and fruit, you probably won’t see much if any damage from them. However, a predator of Thrips, Miniature Pirate Bug (Orius spp.) eats Thrips, and anything else its size (or smaller). Since it will feed on all the above mentioned pests and more besides, it is a good one to periodically introduce. If your crop is big enough, Orius spp. can develop sustainable populations in the crop. It can fly, so it can move around to find prey, but if pest populations drop too low, it will also leave for greener pastures.

There are other pests that may assail your berries. Again, the UC Davis site covers them very well. The site also covers strawberry plant diseases.

Unless otherwise indicated, all of the images in this section are from the UC Davis IPM site and are used with permission from the University of California Statewide IPM Program, Jack Kelly Clark, photographer.

Written by Mark Kroggel (updated on 4/19/2014)