Hi, late season these tiny black beetles have invaded my strawberry flowers. Any idea what they are? Are they harming the plant? What are the treatment options if needed, given I'm eating the strawberries. Thanks.

Hi Jo, these beetles look like the native bronze beetle (3-4mm in size), which can also be black, which emerges from the soil in October to January. You may see some leaves with holes in them, that is damage from the beetle. Generally the beetles don't do a lot of damage as it is mostly cosmetic, they can reduce plant vigour and damage fruit, but usually move on quickly. The beetles are hard to control in the adult stage as they have a hard shell, insecticides are not really effective. The best time to control them is when they are larvae in the soil, you could try a soil insect control product, or apply neem granules to the soil around your plants, an alternative natural product is Diatomaceous Earth which is silica based, it is like walking over cut glass for insects, ask at your local garden centre for a suitable control. Other suggestions are washing the beetles off using a hose, going out at night with a torch and bucket of water, shaking the plants as the beetles drop to the ground, and dispose of them. The beetles are attracted to light, if you have solar lights or an outside light near the garden, turn them off at night in early spring. Cultivate the soil around your plants to disturb the soil, the adults lay eggs into firm soil so less chance if the soil is cultivated, placing mulch around your plants may also deter the bronze beetle. I hope these suggestions are helpful. Lianne.