Our 'garden' is pots on a deck. Anyway I bought two strawberry plants a couple of weeks ago. I thought well, this is the first time I have ever had them so they probably won't do anything. To my surprise and delight they are doing really well. We have four or five berries growing well. BUT one has had half of it eaten! I am most indignant! I hasten to say I have it covered so birds can't get in. Husband reckons it could be snails, slugs or something. Can he be right? I would have thought they would eat the leaves. What else could it be?
paix1,
Nov 29, 9:38am
. same happened to me few years ago & I was blaming the birds - until I looked out one morning & there was my little (then) puppy helping herself to a great feed lol
-bookzone-,
Nov 29, 9:39am
I'd say it's slugs, as I grew strawberry plants in a wheelbarrow that was sitting inside a small conservatory, with with a paved floor, and yet they still managed to slither up the barrow legs each night, have a feed and then scarper by the next day! It was only after a thorough examination of each bit of each plant, late at night, that I finally caught a few of the blighters in the act!
yapper,
Nov 29, 7:11pm
Well, thanks very much. We don't have a puppy sadly, so it must be slugs or snails. Although I notice others have caught ants eating theirs! We do have those little treasures on our deck, sigh.
janbodean,
Nov 29, 7:44pm
If it is ants put some beer into a shallow dish (perhaps a jar lid) and put it by the plant. They love beer but end up drowning in it because they can't get out. Worked for us when we lived in Aussie.
-bookzone-,
Nov 29, 8:06pm
If the strawberries have big chunks out of them, it'll be slugs.
whitehead.,
Nov 29, 8:14pm
join the club one of my dogs ever so gently picks my stawberries of the plant and when i put netting around them to stop him he waited till i picked them and put them in my basket which has a home on the floor he ate two and i removed the third one and he sarced the basket really well he loves them
sailor13,
Nov 29, 10:33pm
I was out in the garden only to find mother and her three black bird babys sitting in my hanging barsket of strawberrys what a loverly site it was but they ate the lot never mind some one has to feed them.
kinna54,
Nov 30, 3:54am
Birds. they have been eating mine too. I have covered mine with a bit of old curtain nettting which helps. snails will also luv them. if you have no bait sprinkle some crushed up eggshells or some coffee grounds into the pots.
artemis,
Nov 30, 4:23am
Haven't tried it but have heard it may deter birds to paint a few stones red and pop them around the plant. They get the picture quickly.
frank398,
Dec 1, 6:41am
Slaters love them.
tutifruiti,
Dec 1, 9:26pm
Yes I have trouble with the woodlice as well. Very annoying to find strawberries with chewed holes in them.
paora-tm,
Dec 2, 1:21am
Maybe leaving some rotting wood and leaves nearby might keep the slaters satisfied enough to leave your berries alone. That's what they usually eat.
bluefrog2,
Dec 3, 9:10pm
If it's snails or slugs, lift up the pot and see if they're sheltering in the dish underneath. On a deck, there shouldn't be too many places for them to hide during daytime. Watch out for ants though. I've seen them nibbling the edges of new leaves on my meyer lemon. Had to pick one off for a closer look, because I couldn't believe my eyes.
wasgonna,
Jul 14, 7:15am
Probably feral humans like young children and the innocent looking husband.
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