Hi Linda,

Apologies, my work has piled up. I will give you a call today to relay the same information I will provide below.

The insects you're describing sound like fruit flies. Their larvae infest soft fruits, and their feeding can "melt" them as you describe. There are several management strategies, but I will cover the 3 that are most practical for you.

1) Trapping: A typical trap design uses a red plastic cup with a clear plastic lid to keep out water, and filled with an attractant. Apple cider vinegar is the most popular attractant, but you can also use red wine or other fermenting materials. Adding a drop of detergent can improve capture. The flies enter the trap through a series of holes (3/16” to ¼” diameter) punched along the sides near the top of the cup. The trap is hung from the plants using a string or twist tie that threads through two of the holes.

The trap should then be placed in a shaded area, hung within the crop near the fruit. Traps should then be checked on a regular basis, at least once a week.

2) Proper harvesting: fruit should be harvested as soon as they ripen, or even slightly before (and allowed to fully ripen indoors). Harvested fruit should be immediately consumed, or stored in the refrigerator. 

3) Eliminating alternate food sources: Many kinds of trees and shrubs produce fruits that create food for fruit flies. Dropped apples and crabapples that soften on the ground should be cleared out. Fallen peaches and plums are also important food sources that are relatively easy to remove. 

This fact sheet goes more in-depth on these insects:

https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/5-596-spotted-wing-drosophila-management-home-plantings/

Hi Linda,

If there isn't a shady area nearby, you could create some with twigs/branches or a small cardboard box. If that's not possible, you'll just need to refill the trap more often as the water in the vinegar may evaporate sooner. 

Regarding the berries ripening at different rates, I would just place them all in the fridge and eat them as they ripen. They will still ripen in the fridge, just slower. Rather than sorting them all, you could just pick whichever are ripe enough as you're eating them. 

I understand that the list of alternative food sources is disconcerting. The fruits I listed (apples and peaches) are the highest priority to remove, simply because they're so large that they can host more flies. The link I provided also lists their other favorite fruits. But any fruit left outside too long will provide food for the flies. If you are unable to remove those other rotting fruit in time, consider creating more traps. Perhaps you need traps for each fruitful area of the your garden. 

There are other management options, such as insecticides. These insecticides can be applied at an interval that makes them safe to eat. That is called the Post Harvest Interval, and the length of time would be specified on the insecticide you purchase. The fact sheet I linked provides examples of insecticides you could use. Nonetheless, I understand the aversion to insecticides. I certainly wouldn't want to spray anything I intend to eat. 

Let me know if you have further questions.