Insect
Raspberry Beetle
A small brown beetle 4 mm long whose cream larvae feed inside raspberry, blackberry, and loganberry fruits, making them unpalatable at harvest.
Symptoms to Look For
- Cream grubs found inside fruits at picking
- Ripe fruits drying out or collapsing at the core
- Small entry holes at the stalk end of ripening fruits
Affected Plants
RaspberryBlackberryLoganberry
Organic Solutions
Encourage birds
Adult beetles overwinter in the soil under canes - disturb the soil regularly in winter to expose them to robins and thrushes.
Cultivation under canes
Fork the soil shallowly under canes in late winter and again after harvest to expose pupae to desiccation and predators.
Prevention
- Pick fruits as soon as ripe to reduce the number of larvae completing development inside harvested fruit
- Cultivate the soil under canes in autumn to disrupt the overwintering pupae
Garden, by Willowbottom recommends only organic, wildlife-friendly solutions. No synthetic pesticides, no harmful chemicals - ever.