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Spotted wing drosophila in my Raspberries #876938

Asked July 12, 2024, 9:27 AM EDT

Hi, I believe I have the Spotted wing drosophila in my Raspberries. The last couple of years I have had them at the end of my harvest but this year the are terrible by my 4th day of picking. So my question is how do I prevent further infestation? I try to pick daily but with busy schedules sometimes that's hard. I put out fly traps--vinegar and dishsoap and Yeast, sugar water mix which has really attracted the little black bugs. What can I do now? I have soaked picked berries in water with vinegar and it's hard to eat the berries when you see how many worms come out--wonder how many are still in the berries --or the eggs. What can I do to for prevention for next year? Last fall I cleaned out old canes and we did spray and insectide on the new canes...we also sprayed this spring before they started bearing fruit. Thanks for any help you can offer. My grandkids love the raspberries!!

Grant County Minnesota

Expert Response

Hi Susan,

This pest is difficult to deal with, but there are ways to reduce damage to the berries. This page should help:

https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/spotted-wing-drosophila

Good luck.

MJ Replied July 12, 2024, 12:40 PM EDT

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