Notes on Raspberry Insects
Sap beetles
Identification
Sap beetles, also called picnic beetles, are 6 mm long and black with
cream markings. They are attracted to ripe fruit and infest raspberries
in the field and after harvest.
Management notes
No chemical sprays give effective control of sap beetles.
- The pest can be managed through harvesting on a regular basis and
the removal of damaged and diseased fruit as well as healthy fruit.
- Bury compost and trash piles or locate them at a different site.
- Never put boxes of berries on the ground.
- Remove harvested fruit to a screened building or shelter immediately
after you pick.
- Baits may be used on a small scale to trap beetles. Apple cider vinegar
or a mixture of yeast, sugar and water combined with a few drops of
liquid detergent will drown the beetles. Commercially prepared bait
that contains the insecticide carbaryl is available.
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