Insect

Blueberry Maggot

Larvae of a small fly that infest blueberry fruits, causing them to shrivel and drop prematurely; infested berries look normal externally until squeezed.

Symptoms to Look For

Fruit shrivelling and dropping before full ripeness
White maggots inside berries when cut open
Soft watery spots on otherwise normal-looking fruit

Affected Plants

Blueberry

Organic Solutions

Red sphere traps

Hang sticky red sphere traps baited with ammonium acetate in bushes from early July to monitor and trap adult flies before egg-laying.

Kaolin clay spray

Apply kaolin clay suspension to developing fruit clusters to deter adult flies from laying eggs on berries.

Prevention

Pick berries as soon as ripe to reduce the number available for infestation
Remove and destroy all dropped fruit promptly to prevent larvae entering the soil to pupate

Garden, by Willowbottom recommends only organic, wildlife-friendly solutions. No synthetic pesticides, no harmful chemicals - ever.