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Fruit flies invading raspberries #682527

Asked March 03, 2021, 2:34 PM EST

Hi there, I’ve been growing raspberries for several years but over the last two years they’ve become infested with what I believe are drosophila. I’ve tried so many things but they keep coming back? Do you have any recommendations on how to get rid of them for good without harming pollinators? Thanks, Laura

Carver County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thank you for writing.
Here are two good resources.

The only thing that I would add is harvest fruit at least once or better twice a day. The softer the fruit, the happier the fruit fly.  Clean up all dropped fruit. (I just leave a ziploc under my patch to drop rotten berries into. I do not use insecticides for fear of their effect on pollinators. Barrier nets supposedly work but it is too much work (for me) to open and close them. 

https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/spotted-wing-drosophila

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/spotted_wing_drosophila_a_serious_pest_for_the_home_gardener#:~:text=Spotted%20wing%20Drosophila%3A%20A%20serious%20pest%20for%20the%20home%20gardener,-Duke%20Elsner%2C%20Michigan&text=This%20invasive%20fly%2C%20spotted%20wing,be%20white%20when%20picking%20raspberries 

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