Thresholds and sampling for aphids in strawberries

Aphids occasionally cause substantial yield losses in California strawberries, usually as a result of honeydew accumulation from large populations of the pest. Honeydew deposits on the fruit permit development of sooty mold and attachment of the white skins shed by aphid nymphs; this contamination renders the fruit unmarketable. Many growers therefore apply pesticides regularly to prevent aphid population buildup. Viruses transmitted by aphids also can cause significant damage, but pesticide applications to reduce virus transmission are uneconomical.