What's eating my red huckleberry?

Red huckleberry's translucent berries are irresistible to birds — the dominant pest concern. Spotted wing drosophila has colonised the Pacific Northwest, making berry crops vulnerable. Aphids and occasional caterpillar feeding occur on foliage. Deer browse the delicate stems, especially in winter when other forage is scarce.

Larvae develop inside ripening translucent berries, causing rapid collapse; infested fruit drops or turns mushy well before natural fall Fine exclusion netting; fermented bait traps to monitor arrival; spinosad applied weekly from first colour change through harvest

Highly visible red fruit is stripped by birds almost immediately upon ripening — major yield loss for growers trying to harvest ahead of wildlife Net individual shrubs before berries colour; harvest as soon as berries turn red; accept sharing with wildlife if netting is impractical

Spring colonies on new growth cause leaf curl; honeydew attracts ants which farm the aphids and deter natural predators Insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; remove ants with a sticky barrier on stems; encourage syrphid flies by planting umbellifers nearby

Browse tender shoot tips and developing fruit clusters; young plants are often browsed to the ground in areas with high deer pressure Deer fencing or individual wire cages around young plants; repellent sprays in autumn and winter when deer hunger increases