Woodlice vs strawberries?

[Lozzie]

Recently I've noticed that some little bu**ers have been munching holes in my strawberries. I originally thought that slugs and snails were the culprits. However, every time I check the damaged strawberries, I almost always find woodlice in the holes. This is a bit odd, since I usually pick and check the berries during the day. Woodlice usually come out at night though. Could the woodlice be causing damage to the strawberries, or are they just munching on the slug's leftovers, so to speak? If so, what's the best way to get rid of them? Do they have any predators?

[scooby]

not sure but i've noticed the same thing on my allotment

[Bugeyes]

Woodlice are really nasty little things that look innocent but are truly evil. Organic growers can have loads of problems with them in crops such as peppers and cucumbers so I'm not surprised they are trying their hand at your strawberries! The only useful predator is one of three types of spider - the best I can remember is Dysdera. This is orange with a pale abdomen and can give you a nasty nip! They are most common in the south of the country, try looking in compost heaps. Google Dysdera and there should be some good photos to show you what to look for. If you do collect some put them in individual containers as they fight like mad.
Good luck!

[JimineyC]

Hi.
I just picked the first ripe strawberry, and thus the first ripe anything I have grown in my first year of veg growing and what do you know - a big hole full of woodlice on the underside! There are an incredible amount of woodlice in my garden and my slug traps had been slaying them in the hundreds but I had thought of them as annoying but not harmful. This has changed!

This place has a control for them. I have not tried this yet so cannot vouch for it but after today I may order some myself. DIATOMACEOUS EARTH.

http://www.greengardener.co.uk/extras.htm

I've used the company and they're okay, though they did just post me Cat Repellant Rods when I ordered some Barrier glue.

It is recommended to keep the fruits off the soil to stop slug damage and my fruit was touching the ground. I have copper tape around my strawberry pots but this has seemed to be less effective over time.

It's been a bad day today, I lost my first pumpkin as well. Ho hum.

Jim

[Lozzie]

Oh dear. Thanks for the advice. I'll have a look at the diatomaceous earth. Maybe I might give it a try...

[JimineyC]

Hi Lozzie.
After further research I do think the slugs were the most likely culprit for the large hole. Apparently wood lice might go for over ripe fruit though and I'm not discounting them entirely. I bought a good book today, RHS Pests and Diseases (published by D&K). It lists loads of potential problems for strawberries of which I was happily unaware! I think I'd rather of not known. Still, I'm new to all this too. Hopefully the other fruits will make it.
Good luck
Jim

[leona]

keep a check on pots near by as woodlice like camping out under pots. i move mine regularly to stop them building up

[snohare]

Try talcum powder as a cheap alternative to the diatomaceous soil - it too can affect the moisture control of insect exoskeletons.

[JMCCARTAN]

Wood Lice

Wood Lice are hanging in bunches from my grapes they eat every thing should i just give up they are even up at the top of my apple tree.
Read some where that they only come out at night well you should see my green house day or night have used wood lice powder but not good nothing kills them
HELP

[bluemoon]

I no longer have woodlice on my plot, they are an apparent delicacy for chickens and the girls made a great job of clearing them. I've always thought that woodlice did not have mouth parts which were strong enough to eat anything which wasn't rotten or at least over-ripe, so it might be slugs and birds starting the damage and making things easy for them. This summer I threw a tantrum, dug up my strawberries and binned them in frustration. I've since regretted it and ordered some more, due for November delivery, and this time they're going in hanging baskets. Of the ones I recently murdered, in the three years I had them I had probably two dozen strawberries all told (from 24 plants!). Slugs, snails, wood mice, pigeons.... it was a constant losing battle. I'm going to hang the baskets at home rather than at the lottie, it should lift them out of the reach of the slugs and we don't have a mouse or pigeon problem here. Next year I might have enough berries to do more than just garnish something!