Raspberry pests

floyd

Can anyone offer any advice on what might be chewing at my raspberry plants (Autumn Bliss)?

The leaf damage is generally confined to a few clusters of small circular holes rather than big chunks that sawfly usually cause. I have also seen the odd hole in the fruit, which is quite a clean cut in otherwise perfect fruit (not rotten) and there is no obvious maggot or beetle infestation in either the fruit or leaves.

There appears to be leaf-miner damage on 2 leaves as well.

I know there isn't much I can do now while they are fruiting but what should I do during the late autumn/winter to stop whatever it is coming back?

emiff6

It looks like sawfly damage - are you sure there are no grubs on the underside of the leaves? They'll be small -12mm - and pale green. They drop to the ground and overwinter in a cocoon, to emerge in spring as small wasp-like flies.

floyd

I haven't seen anything while picking and I turned over a random selection of damaged and good leaves while I was taking the pictures but I need to move the netting and get in for a good look at the weekend so I will update as to what I find!

Lotus-eater

That is such a tiny amount of damage, I wouldn't even notice it tbh.

You will always get some damage to foliage and fruits when you are growing organically, if you want everything to be perfect, start spraying.

floyd

Lotus-eater wrote: »

That is such a tiny amount of damage, I wouldn't even notice it tbh.

You will always get some damage to foliage and fruits when you are growing organically, if you want everything to be perfect, start spraying.

ha ha thanks Lotus, I have a bit of an OCD! :rotfl:
I don't mind if its sawfly as they dont really damage the fruit crop overall, I was more concerned that it might be raspberry beetle maggots or worse still the Japanese beetle although I understand these are not so common.

I shall remember to share a little of my crop with nature, as long as its not the blackbirds because they take the lot!