What's eating my youngberry?

Youngberry, a trailing Rubus hybrid, is susceptible to raspberry beetle maggots inside berries, spotted wing drosophila in ripe fruit, and aphids on new growth. Birds strip ripe berries rapidly. Cane spot fungus can cause purple lesions on canes. Raspberry beetle is the key fruiting pest in most regions.

White larvae inside ripe berries; grubs visible when fruit is cut; early drop. Apply approved insecticide at first pink fruit; cultivate soil in winter to expose pupating larvae to frost and predators.

Ripe fruit becomes soft and maggot-filled within days; unmarketable crop. Pick fruit promptly and frequently; exclude with fine mesh; dispose of damaged fruit in sealed bags away from the planting.

Distorted, sticky shoot tips; virus-vector risk causing mosaic and stunting. Insecticidal soap or neem oil at bud burst; hand-crush small colonies; remove virus-infected canes.

Rapid wholesale removal of ripe berries; crop can be stripped overnight. Net canes with fruit-cage or drape netting at colour change; check daily.