What's eating my northsky blueberry?

Northsky is a compact half-high blueberry bred for extreme cold hardiness in the northern US and Canada. Birds are the primary pest, but its low-growing habit also exposes it to rabbits browsing fruiting canes in winter and spring. Spotted-wing drosophila and blueberry maggot fly are the main insect threats in its northern range.

Ripe berries eaten directly; Northsky's compact 50–90 cm height makes every berry accessible; significant fruit loss possible without protection Fine-mesh bird netting draped over the entire low bush from veraison; a small wire hoop cage with netting is practical given its compact size

Canes are gnawed or clipped cleanly in winter and early spring when other food is scarce; bark stripped from lower stems; severe damage can kill canes Hardware cloth cylinder guards around each plant from autumn; fencing with 2.5 cm mesh buried 15 cm underground around the planting

Larvae develop inside ripening berries, causing soft spots and internal collapse; late-ripening half-highs often escape early summer pressure but mid-season crops are vulnerable Fine mesh exclusion netting; spinosad sprays at early ripening; monitoring traps with vinegar or sweet bait

Larvae tunnel through berry flesh, causing shriveled, inedible fruit; banded-wing adults fly July through September in northern states Yellow sticky traps baited with ammonium acetate from late June; remove all fallen fruit; kaolin clay spray as a deterrent during adult activity