How to save raspberries from pests

Raspberries are a very healthy berry with an amazing taste and aroma, so every gardener strives to grow this amazing crop on their plot. However, in order for the raspberry tree to be healthy and produce a large, high-quality harvest, pest control is needed.

This crop only in appearance seems unpretentious and does not require special care, but if you make mistakes during cultivation, then there is a risk of losing the harvest for years to come.

Perhaps you have never paid any attention to small midges and invisible bugs on raspberry bushes, and it was completely in vain. These “harmless” insects are actually very dangerous and can cause enormous damage to the bushes and future crops.

Whatever variety of raspberries you plant in your garden, parasites can harm not only the fruits, but also the plant itself. Agree, there is little pleasure in the fact that when picking berries you have to get rid of fruits spoiled by beetles and worms. How to save raspberries from pests and protect the plants from death?

To do this, it is necessary to apply effective preventive measures and promptly eliminate emerging midges and worm beetles. It is also worth noting one more important detail: when planting new plantations, you need to use only high-quality and healthy planting material. Experienced gardeners recommend buying seedlings from trusted specialized nurseries. This way you will eliminate the risk of the area becoming infected with various ailments and pests.

When can raspberries be treated for pests?

Spring is the most important period for combating harmful insects that prevent raspberries from developing normally and producing a large, high-quality harvest. There are a number of specific pests that cause enormous damage to raspberry bushes. It is worth special mentioning:

• raspberry beetle;
• weevil;
• stem fly;
• gall midges.

If you do not carry out spring treatment with chemicals to protect raspberries from pests, then there will be little chance of getting a rich harvest.

So, when can you treat raspberries for pests? The initial stage of plant protection starts in early spring, when special pruning of bushes is carried out (removal of weak branches, as well as stems with obvious signs of damage).

The technique of digging up soil around bushes is also very useful. Pest larvae overwinter in the soil, so it is necessary to thoroughly process it and remove the larvae. This will significantly reduce the number of pests that would hatch and begin to damage the shoots, ovaries and berries. Please note that the larvae may also be contained in last year’s leaves; therefore, the bushes must be cleaned extremely thoroughly.

All cut shoots and foliage where signs of pests were found must be taken out of the area and burned.

Important! Never use the remains of infected vegetation in a compost bin to avoid causing pest infestation of your entire garden area.

Also at the very beginning of spring (before the buds begin to bloom), it is useful to treat the soil with raspberry pest protection products such as Carbophosphorus or Actellik.
If during the last growing season you noticed some pests on the raspberry tree, then they need to be treated with insecticides as many times as necessary to get rid of a specific type of insect.

Raspberry treatment in autumn

At the end of autumn, it is necessary to cut off two-year-old shoots that will no longer bear fruit, as well as damaged and weak branches, right to the root. Annual shoots on which it is planned to produce a harvest next season must be shortened to the height that can be reached with pruning shears.

Then you need to remove all the foliage from the branches. To do this, you need to lightly hold the branch in your hand and move it along it in the direction from bottom to top (in no case vice versa, as you can damage the buds). The leaves that remain hanging on the stem should be removed using pruning shears.

Next, we rake up the fallen leaves and burn them along with the cut shoots and parasites. Then we apply fertilizers to the soil under the bushes and dig up the plantation along with the row spacing.
After all the manipulations done, you can remove the raspberries from the trellises and arrange them for wintering.

Raspberry pest control products

As for drugs that help fight pests, it is worth knowing which substance is suitable for treatment against a specific type of parasite.

• For gall midges, it is recommended to spray the soil under the bushes with Chlorophos twice. The first time this procedure should be performed before the insects hatch and fly out (the soil should warm up to 13 degrees). The next spraying is carried out after 10 days. You can also use Karbofos emulsion or a one percent solution of Bordeaux mixture.
• Fufafon, Kemifos or Alatar protect well from weevils. To prepare the solution, you must follow the instructions for the preparations.
• Spider mites can be effectively combated with the help of Tsidial, Metaphos, Colloidal sulfur, Karbofos. If necessary, spraying is carried out every 10 days until the pest completely disappears.
• To prevent infection with raspberry mites after the bushes have flowered, as well as after picking the berries, spraying with Karbofos is recommended. Insecticides such as Iskra M, Fufafon and Actellik also have a good effect.
• The same Karbofos, as well as Decis and Konfidor, save you from the raspberry beetle.
• Iskra, Decis, Konfidor, Karbofos help well against raspberry bud moth. Treatment should be done as soon as the buds begin to swell.
• The stem fly is fought with the help of Actellik and Karbofos. You need to spray the bushes when the first young stems appear.
• Leaf aphids are afraid of the same drugs as in the previous paragraph, only spraying must be done when the buds open.

Plants that repel pests from raspberries

As you can see, insect control is carried out using various methods. And the list of effective methods also includes planting plants that repel pests from raspberries.

Plant red elderberries next to your raspberry plantation. Due to the high content of phytoncides spreading in the air, many insects leave the area.
Marigolds are also good neighbors for raspberry bushes - they protect the raspberry tree from a whole range of pests.

Peonies, garlic, coriander, asters, and ferns are also great at repelling parasites - plants that have a distinct, specific aroma.