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Strawberries

torbrex
torbrex Posts: 71,340 Forumite
10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Rampant Recycler Hung up my suit!
My strawbs have finally started to ripen last week and I have enjoyed their flavour greatly but I have noticed today that something has got at them :(
I strongly suspect birds but I'm not certain.
Do any of you nice people know what is causing the holes in my berries, they appear at random, sometimes going right through and some like this one, stopping about halfway with another hole going into the same berry from the other side.
9a63a6e0.jpg

Comments

  • Leif
    Leif Posts: 3,727 Forumite
    Have any been chewier than expected?
    Warning: This forum may contain nuts.
  • Sophie4120
    Sophie4120 Posts: 123 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I'm going to hazard a guess at slugs! I've been catching them on my strawbs, and they have been leaving holes just like that.
  • looks typical woodlice hole - might be ant or earwig though - they all love srawbs
    saving money by growing my own - much of which gets drunk
    made loads last year :beer:
  • torbrex
    torbrex Posts: 71,340 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Rampant Recycler Hung up my suit!
    Sophie4120 wrote: »
    I'm going to hazard a guess at slugs! I've been catching them on my strawbs, and they have been leaving holes just like that.
    I had not even thought about slugs, I have had slug trouble in other parts of the garden but with no leaf damage it had not even occured to me
  • Leif
    Leif Posts: 3,727 Forumite
    torbrex wrote: »
    I had not even thought about slugs, I have had slug trouble in other parts of the garden but with no leaf damage it had not even occured to me

    Hence my question, a bit too cryptic it seems. :) I always assume it is slugs. I was told that birds got them, but leaving netting off and putting slug pellets down cured the problems I had of strawberries riddled with holes.
    Warning: This forum may contain nuts.
  • Badrick
    Badrick Posts: 606 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    Sophie4120 wrote: »
    I'm going to hazard a guess at slugs! I've been catching them on my strawbs, and they have been leaving holes just like that.

    This year we haven't had a single edible strawberry due to slug damage :mad:, they tend to eat furrows around the fruit or take a great chunk from the side.
    I wouldn't think the mouth is in the right place for burrowing, plus the telltale slime trail isn't apparent in the OPs.picture.
    "We could say the government spends like drunken sailors, but that would be unfair to drunken sailors, because the sailors are spending their own money."

    ~ President Ronald Reagan
  • torbrex
    torbrex Posts: 71,340 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Rampant Recycler Hung up my suit!
    This years crop is all but done anyway but I will certainly be aware of slugs next year and take suitable action.
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