What's eating my evergreen huckleberry?

Evergreen huckleberry is relatively pest-tolerant but still attracts spotted wing drosophila in the Pacific Northwest, its native range. Aphids cluster on new growth in spring; cranberry fruitworm can attack ripening fruit. Birds — especially thrushes and waxwings — are arguably the most consistent pressure on the crop at harvest.

Females insert eggs into ripening berries; larvae develop inside, causing soft, oozing, fermented fruit that falls prematurely 1 mm exclusion netting is most effective; monitor with fermented-bait traps from colour change; spinosad sprays at 7-day intervals during ripening

Colonies on new shoot tips cause leaf curl and distortion; heavy infestations coat stems with honeydew, encouraging sooty mould Strong water jet to dislodge colonies; introduce ladybird beetles; insecticidal soap or neem oil on persistent infestations

Flocks pick berries at colour-change, often before full ripeness; can remove most of a crop over just a few days Bird netting draped over shrubs or installed as a cage around the planting; visual deterrents have limited long-term effect