Kitchen Garden Forum

I was wondering how many of you treat your raspberries against raspberry beetle, and how many of you don't.

For the first couple of years that my Autumn Bliss were in place, raspberry beetle wasn't a problem, but since then the problem has got worse. I would say that I discard at least half, possibly more, of my raspberries because they have been spoiled by the grubs of this pest.

I weed around the roots in all but midsummer (when the canes are too thick to get between), because I know that digging around the roots is meant to help control the problem. However, this just doesn't seem to be helping.
I have been wondering whether to try Derris next year. What do you think?

As far as I know, derris has been withdrawn from sale.

Yes derris has been withdrawn. Encouraging natural ecological balance works for me Mouse. i had to look up this beetle as I have not seen them in my garden, and I have been growing loganberries, tayberries, raspberries, strawberries blackberries etc for six years here. Of course there are many insects but a healthy soil with natural microbial activity encourages biodiversity, biodiversity encourages predators. It takes a combination of about three predators to keep any pest under control. when this balance is out of sync then pests and diseases thrive. I see all sorts of creepy crawlies in my garden, lots of spiders hoverflies, ladybirds wasps , bees, lacewings, there are shrews, toads, slow worms, newts, frogs ,hedgehogs, the occasional mole, but no pest or fungal problems. I tell a lie only,one small problem with two or three lettuce which got a root maggot, it turned out to be larva of a lawn moth and it was on a new bed dug up from an area of lawn, I can live with that. It took courage to hold off with the sprays - but it works given time.
As it's autumn perhaps you could relocate some strong plants to a fresh area? I would put my chickens on that area and let them eat the pests

Please can I borrow your hens, NB?

Seriously, I have considered starting a new raspberry bed, but as the plots on either side of mine have abandoned raspberry beds that are harbouring these pests, I don't really think it is worth the effort - I think that by the time the plants were properly established, the beetles would have found them!!!

By the way, did I really put "strawberry beetle" as the title for this thread??? Either I had a meno-moment, or someone is playing tricks on me!

Yes you did and I changed what I wrote from canes to plants when I noticed that ! You could adopt a couple of battery hens - they discard them as less productive after only a year and they can lay for years when free range. It must be more difficult with others around you having the same pests, easy to get reinfected, maybe you all need to get together to beat the problem.

I have been growing raspberries for about 30 years.. Used to have lots of beetle problems.. Don't spray and have not done for about 15 years and still have a few but not a major issue.

No chickens.. but lots of wild birds and a male pheasant likes hiding between the canes...and presumably eating whatever he finds..

I don't net canes so suffer from birds and squirrels but still get 30-40kgs/year...

NO beetles on our rasps as yet - touch wood and all that.