Aphid pests of strawberry and their control

Find out how to recognise and detect aphid attacks at an early stage and decide whether action is needed.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for strawberry growers to gain effective control of aphids. These widely occurring pests are becoming established in crops earlier in the season, especially following milder winters and earlier springs. Approvals for multiple effective products have been lost, and few conventional aphicides are now available for control.

This information is designed to enable growers to recognise and detect aphid attacks at an early stage and decide whether action is needed.

These pages will help growers to recognise aphid problems before numbers build up to damaging levels, allowing them to select appropriate strategies for managing these pests in strawberry crops.

Strawberry growers will find helpful information on signs of aphid presence, how to detect aphids soon after they start to colonise the crop, how to recognise the main aphid species affecting strawberry, and current control methods and products that are available. Up-to-date information is included on:

• Taking proactive steps to avoid aphid build-up
• Spotting aphid infestations at an early stage
• Identifying the types of aphid present
• Responding to aphid attack with appropriate control measures

Five species of aphid are commonly found on strawberry in the UK: strawberry aphid, potato aphid, melon and cotton aphid, glasshouse-potato aphid and shallot aphid. Find out more about the biology of aphids.

Some of the aphid species cause feeding damage and transmit viruses to strawberry. Read more about the potential damage that each aphid can cause.

Strawberry crops should be monitored regularly for the presence of aphids. Learn how best to monitor for signs of aphids and how to identify crop-damage symptoms.

There are a range of ways of managing the control of aphids in strawberry, including cultural, natural, biological and chemical methods. Review the commercial options here.

The content for these web pages was authored for AHDB by Dr Glen Powell (NIAB EMR).

Potato aphids on a strawberry leaf

Image copyright NIAB EMR.