I thought these guys were my friends! Their cute, tickly crab legs, their somersault bodies, their way of munching all the leaves I was too lazy to rake... But clearly, strawberries have major appeal for these land crustaceans. Last year, I bemoaned every nibble found on the handful of strawberries my plants put out, clutching them to my chest and muttering "my precious..." I blamed the slugs. I shooed away the seed bugs, who seemed to cause the least damage but were present nonetheless. I even did an experiment this year: letting strawberries run rampant among several companion plants. I tried pairings with chives, lemon balm, mint, borage, feverfew, thyme, and just mulch. Well, guess what? Mulch is were seed bugs and pill bugs hang out, over-wintering as well. I found them everywhere except above the creeping phlox. The creeping phlox is dense and spiky, blocking access to the mulch and none too pleasant to walk across, I bet. I think the thyme (especially wooly thyme) would work as well, but my plants are still quite sparse. One thing is clear: strong smells do not keep these pests away. My solution: Let the strawberries run rampant. You'll still get pest damage, but the 88 "good" strawberries we picked this morning make me feel less precious about sharing a few here and there. Then make a strawberry pizza with spicy oregano or lemon thyme and tangy goat cheese share it with your friends.
