Strawberry bugs???

[vicpivo]

Hi,

My strawberries are doing really well in the recent warm weather with numerous white flowers appearing

However on the downside, one or two of the flowers were missing petals and there appeared to be minute black specks next to the petals - a little smaller than ants (could be some sort of parasite or my eyes playing tricks on me!).

Is this something I should worry about? The yellow flower is in perfect condition and it doesn't appear to have spread to other flowers.

If it is a problem how do I go to war on the little things eating my strawberries

[Two_Sheds]

yellow flower?

[vicpivo]

Sorry probably wrong terminology - the yellow centre piece with the white petals (assume it is the unripened strawberry itself??)

[Two_Sheds]

OK yeah. I've never seen black bugs on any strawbs, and when you said yellow flowers I thought - they don't have yellow flowers: it's not a strawberry

Sorry, I don't know what the bugs are, can you load a photo?

[vicpivo]

The bugs/dirt has now gone after I rubbed them off.

However before I rubbed them off I noticed that some of the petals had disappeared. Am I being a little overprotective over my little babies and is this perfectly normal (wear & tear/wind etc)?

[Two_Sheds]

The petals will naturally go when the plant's been pollinated

[vicpivo]

Makes sense! I'm being a little over protective!

Thanks