Strictly speaking, it is not maggots, but the larvae of the raspberry beetle that severely damage the raspberry fruit. What you can do against the unwelcome garden dwellers.

Raspberry beetle - the most common pest of raspberry bushes

If the raspberries have a lot of maggots, the raspberry beetle is usually responsible. The three to four millimeter large pest lays its eggs on the leaves and in the blossoms of the raspberries from mid-May.

From this, the larvae develop, which not only attack the leaves, but also the raspberry fruits in particular. They either take care of the bush or don't even ripen.

The pest infestation only occurs in early flowering varieties, the summer raspberries. When the autumn raspberry blossoms, the raspberry beetles' mating season is over. They then no longer lay eggs in the flowers.

Preventive measures against the raspberry beetle

There are only a few measures that actually help:

  • Choose a sunny location
  • Thin out shrubs regularly
  • Preferably plant autumn raspberries
  • Collecting the raspberry beetles in spring
  • Lay out special attractants

Choose a sunny location

Raspberry beetles feel particularly comfortable in a shaded location. Therefore, plant raspberry bushes in a place that is as sunny as possible. The pests spread less there.

Make sure there is enough space between the rods. The denser the shoots grow, the easier it is for the raspberry beetle to spread. More than 15 rods should never be left on a shrub.

Collect the beetles

If you want to eat the fruits of your raspberries, you must not use any chemical agents. They not only poison the bugs, but also harm useful garden residents. Chemically treated fruits are not edible.

If your raspberry bushes are infested by the raspberry beetle, collect the beetles individually from the bushes in spring. This is cumbersome, but the only effective method.

To do this, hold the shoot with two fingers and gently tap it with the other hand. As a result, most of the bugs fall off and only have to be picked up.

tips and tricks

The garden trade offers special attractants that you use near the raspberry plants. They should exude the aroma of raspberries, enticing the beetles to lay their eggs on the attractant.

Category:

Vegetable garden