Worms on Strawberry Plants

Strawberry Pests

• Strawberries fall prey to fungus more often than any insect, but also attract pests like spider mites, ants, aphids, thrips and beetles. The most damaging strawberry pests, though, are worms.

Worms in Strawberries

• According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, two species of worms attack strawberries: southern armyworms and fall armyworms. The worms, which are moth larvae, eat strawberry leaves and buds as they develop, damaging the plants' abilities to grow and bear fruit.

Symptoms

• Strawberry plants with worms display some obvious signs: fecal pellets on the leaves, damaged leaves and buds and worms on the leaves. These worms generally appear in early spring, when new growth is forming on the plants.

Treatments

• According to Purdue University, strawberry gardeners should spray their strawberry plants with an all-purpose fruit spray to keep worms and disease from becoming a problem. The university recommends applying sprays as the first blossoms open in spring. The University of Florida IFAS Extension recommends supplementing this process with weekly monitoring and worm-specific sprays.