Pest identification
What's eating my honeyberry blue velvet?
Aphids
Signs: Curled, sticky new leaves and shoot tips in spring; ants may farm colonies on soft growth.
Control: Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; knock off with a water jet. Natural predators usually bring infestations under control quickly.
Birds
Signs: Ripe berries eaten directly off the bush — honeyberry ripens earlier than most soft fruit, so birds find it before netting is applied.
Control: Net bushes as soon as berries begin to turn blue-purple; use fine mesh bird netting anchored securely at the base.
Rabbits
Signs: Bark gnawed from the base of stems in winter; young canes nibbled to the ground.
Control: Fit a wire mesh guard (rabbit-proof, at least 60 cm tall) around the base of each plant through autumn and winter.
Keep honeyberry blue velvet pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Honeyberry Blue Velvet pests — FAQ
What is eating my honeyberry blue velvet?
Honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea 'Blue Velvet') is a hardy edible shrub with relatively few serious pest problems. Aphids attack new growth in spring, and birds are the most consistent threat to the very early ripening fruit. Rabbits and deer browse young stems in winter. Overall pest pressure is lower than for most soft fruit.
How do I get rid of aphids on honeyberry blue velvet?
Curled, sticky new leaves and shoot tips in spring; ants may farm colonies on soft growth. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; knock off with a water jet. Natural predators usually bring infestations under control quickly.
How do I get rid of birds on honeyberry blue velvet?
Ripe berries eaten directly off the bush — honeyberry ripens earlier than most soft fruit, so birds find it before netting is applied. Net bushes as soon as berries begin to turn blue-purple; use fine mesh bird netting anchored securely at the base.
How do I get rid of rabbits on honeyberry blue velvet?
Bark gnawed from the base of stems in winter; young canes nibbled to the ground. Fit a wire mesh guard (rabbit-proof, at least 60 cm tall) around the base of each plant through autumn and winter.