Cyclamen mite on strawberries
On strawberry the mites live in the crown, along the midvein of young folded leaves and under the calyx, so the plant looks bunched and the berries come out small and seedy. UC IPM says early-season releases of Neoseiulus californicus may control it, while releases of N. cucumeris have not proven effective. The mite usually arrives on nursery transplants, and second-year beds suffer most, so clean stock does more than any release.
At a glance
- Damage
- Crinkled, cupped and stunted new leaves; withered buds
- Type
- Sap feeding
- Settings
- Under glass, Field, Garden, Indoors
- Threshold
- Commercial: 1 cyclamen mite in 10 young leaves (UC IPM)
- Release
- Neoseiulus californicus
- Rate
- 5–125 /m² per release by supplier (the site's general N. californicus rate); release early in the season
How to confirm it
Too small to see without a strong lens or microscope. Open the youngest folded leaves or a bud: the mites and their clear oval eggs sit along the midvein. A crinkled, dwarfed centre with normal older leaves is the tell.
Identification, lifecycle, degree days and every control option are on the full Cyclamen mite profile. Not sure it is this pest? Answer four questions about the damage.
Work it out
How many do I need?
Carries Neoseiulus californicus and strawberry through so nothing is re-entered. Open the calculator →