Quite a number of my raspberry plants have a little black grub/caterpillar at the centre of the growing tip. The top is turning over and it is eating the leaves. Has anyone any idea what they are.
I have been squashing as many as I can find, seems I have caught them before they have done too much damage,
I think it may be raspberry saw fly. Does anyone have any experience? The colour of the grubs seem to vary in the google images, mine are mostly black but the larger ones are brown.
They eat out the growing tip. I have caught most of them but some have been damaged though the plants seems to be intent on fruiting because it is shooting further down the stem.
I rather luckily put some manure round some of my raspberries and they have remained clear so I think the little blighters live in the soil. I will have to try the rhubard which protects the gooseberries.
Hi - I have had those beetles for the past couple of years - didn't really notice them till towards the end of the fruiting , but they made the fruits black & yucky.
I recently bought the Raspberry Beetle trap from Harrod Horticultural - a bit pricey, but seems to be working so far. It's a contraption, you hang on the bushes/frame, and traps the critters in soapy water. I have caugt about 20 of some kind of insect - they do look like the right ones, but we shall see - proof of the pudding .. :tongue3:
Terri
They are not eating the fruit they are nibbling the leading shoots of the autumn canes which are just thinking of flowering. The top curls a little and inside amongst the leaves is one or occasionally two small black or brown grubs. Once squashed the leaves start to unfurl again and show signs of nibbling. Left too long the flower bud is nibbled as well. Now I am on the case I am managing to get to them before that happens.
So far they have not gone for the summer fruiting ones. They do seem interested in the fruit just the flower bud. I have never seen them before.
I also found a small black insect on one plant which moved very fast. Not seen one before. Not sure if they are connected.
Yes I think it does sound like the raspberry leaf beetle - they go to the leaves. Have a look at the trap online.
They are not going to live long enough to fly into a trap. At the moment they are sitting targets and since the tip goes an odd shape because they glue the leaves together they are easy to spot. I thought I had got them all but they are still appearing.
We have several empty plots at the moment so I will keep a check to see if they get it as well.