Tarnished plant bugs feed on the flowers, causing the berries to deform when they grow. Light frost injury will sometimes cause deformed berries, but this is usually associated with blackened centers in at least some adjacent flowers.

Feeding by nymphs causes the most severe damage, and a threshold of one nymph per every two flower clusters is sufficient to warrant treatment.

Adults overwinter and lay eggs, but they do minimal damage to strawberry flowers in spring. Nymphs cause the most injury.

Back to Flowers and fruit - Strawberry - Nubbiness

Back to Strawberry Diagnostic Tool

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