I FOUND THE WOOD LICE IN THE STRAWBERRIES.

I tend to agree with Snoopdog, Retep. Possibly the strawberries had been attacked by slugs or birds first, and the woodlice took advantage of the softened fruit - they rarely, if ever, cause damage to crops.

Agree far more likely that the original damage was from slugs or birds and the wee woodlice are simply eating what is offered. Their normal diet is rotting wood. You may need to net your strawberries to keep the birds away and put down eco friendly slug pellets under an upturned saucer which is levered up at one side. Main thing is for birds not to be able to eat the slugs as they can also be poisoned. Don't apply anything direct to the fruits.

And just to add that woodlice have not got strong enough mouth parts to get into a strawberry,until someone else has made the hole.

Woodlice do eat ripe strawberries - but usually only if the fruit is so soft its nearly gone off, or if a slug or something has made a hole in it first.

Whoops, crossed, Owdboggy - we're saying the same thing.

Exactomundy!

Thanks to you all for your quick responce i will now add a
net.

To snoopdog tried the bite test could not catch the right
one.now trying DNA l will send you a sample when i get it.
ho ho

A net won't keep the slugs off though!

Nope you will still need to use pellets under an upturned saucer with a wedge or similar as I suggested way back up this thread!

This is not a serious answer but if you get a couple of chickens, they love woodlice. They would hoover them up for you. Free eggs too.

They would eat the slugs too! But not usually a practical option!

Here we go again, the eco friendly slug pellet lecture from MG.
Right, where is the evidence that birds are killed by slugs that have eaten slug pellets. Add to that, hedgehogs who love slugs too.

I'll start off by quoting from BIO/ RSPB

"Even though slugs are a key dietary feature of many birds independent research has failed to find any evidence of slug pellets causing death to garden birds. Bio has worked with the RSPB to develop a code of wise use - the Slug Pellet Code - this basically reminds users to read the label carefully and sprinkle the pellets thinly on the soil and around the plants being protected. Pellets should be 10-15cms apart and should never be piled. If instructions are followed Bio Slug & Snail Killer pellets cause no harm to non-target species."

"Research shows they ( hedgehogs) very rarely feast on dead slugs, but in the rare instance they do metaldehyde-poisoned slugs have shown not to be harmful even when eaten in large quantities"

Now when you can't provide the evidence, and if you are really concerned about bird welfare, can you come up with an answer to the real problem

" The most recent figures are from the Mammal Society, which estimates that the UK's cats catch up to 275 million prey items a year, of which 55 million are birds. This is the number of prey items that were known to have been caught; we don't know how many more the cats caught, but didn't bring home, or how many escaped but subsequently died"

Scrumpyg. as you are well aware I am not the only person to give this advice re slug pellets yet it is me you choose to correct. Thank you for sharing. MG

Well excuse me but I am answering this thread and no one else has mentioned it.
You constantly emphasise eco friendly this and that in your answers more than anyone else, yet there is no evidence to support the claims. All I'm asking for is the evidence, then I'll change my habits.

Now I have given some evidence regarding cats, and as i know you care so much for birds as you have said so, can you give us an answer to the problem regarding cats. I think this is a perfectly reasonable question to ask bearing in mind the proven statistics given.

Scrumpyg. if this questions was about birds and cats then yes I would as it isn't no i wont. Let's try to stay on topic shall we.

Sorry Retep I am going to withdraw from this thread as otherwise it will go off topic very rapidly. Hope you are successful in deterring the slugs and the birds from eating your strawberries. MG

Same old story then, amaze us all with your unsubstantiated comments and then leave before backing them up.
Pathetic.
If you are going to continually answer questions, in future can you make sure you don't answer with untrue/misleading statements. Then, I wouldn't have to ask for clarification. No one else seems to make these sort of comments.

I still think a lot of people want to know why you support the mass killing of birds yet moan about pellets that don't appear to kill any of them. Perhaps someone else could start a question about it. Bet you wouldn't answer.

Retep: please accept my sincere apologies - the member who last commented has an axe to grind with another member and, as usual, has grasped the nettle once again on here. Myself and other members are attempting to ensure that this kind of interaction will be stopped in the near future.
Eco friendly slug pellets will be necessary, as Moon Grower says - unless you don't mind using the non eco friendly ones, but evidence from the RSPB does suggest that these may have a bad effect on birds (not to mention other wildlife) who may consume the poisoned slug/snails.

Can you point me to this evidence please as the quote I gave was endorsed by the RSPB.

Once again you are taking sides without grasping the nature of the question. It is a bad habit you have and one you should learn to control.

think we may be going off the topic of the problem of strawberries being eaten by bugs etc

mine are being eaten too for the 3rd year
im getting fed up with it too
my solution is

you buy 1 you get 1 free
MORRISONS

A lot of people are now recommending nematodes for slug control. I saw a report of lab tests on these the other day and the slugs took three days to die, first stopping eating and then swelling up horribly. I imagine they can feel pain as it is nature's defence against getting damaged. It has really put me off. I haven't found the eco friendly pellets effective so far. Its a real problem.I am thinking I might reluctantly go back to metaldehide, being careful to place it under something where other wildlife can't get at the results. But it won't deal with those horrid little ones that get into the taters. Such a difficult problem.

the two people having a debate dont use me as im a beginner to gardening after my retirement. all this eco nonsense im not interested in.if you want a soap box
suggest you go to hyde park even then you would argue as to the best route to get there.

to all the people who answered with useful hints
i thank you hope to use you in future once again
many thanks.

The best place to debate it is on here. Unfortunate it has appeared on your question and you aren't to happy, but it is relevant.
You have now learned, which you wouldn't have known before, that there are alternative methods of sorting out your problem so you can make your own mind up depending on your beliefs, or in your case, non beliefs, and as a newcomer to gardening i'd have thought the more knowledge you can grasp the better.

Now off my soap box.

Well said Retep. SG suggest you throw away your soapbox.