Strawberry bud weevil (clipper) females lay an egg in individual buds, then clip the bud on the pedicel.

Many varieties can compensate for this injury if it occurs early and if only secondary or tertiary flower buds are affected. Threshold is more than two severely damaged flower trusses per meter of row. A severely damaged flower truss has the primary bud removed or two secondary buds removed.

Adults are quite small and difficult to see. They are most active at night. Therefore, scouts look for clipped buds rather than adults.

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This is a part of The Berry Diagnostic Tool - a companion to the NRAES Production Guides for Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries