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Autumn raspberry leaves
wessie
Posts: 3
My autumn raspberry leaves have been eaten nearly to the top, this is the 3rd year that it's happened and it is on all the plants, not sure but does seem to affect the amount and size of the raspberries as in past years berries have been quite large.
Does anyone know what is causing it and more importantly how to I get rid of whatever it is that is eating them.
I do cut them down to the ground every year and give them a mulch,
0
Posts
Wow! They have been munched, haven't they?! I wonder if a relative of the dreaded gooseberry sawfly might be responsible? Can you see any beasties on there?
Definitely sawfly damage isn't it Steve. From a previous thread, it is probably the small raspberry sawfly (Priophorus morio) although there's not much info. on it.
http://www.ehow.co.uk/list_7318734_worms-raspberry-plants.html
This is really a scientific database so not much use to us gardeners:
http://bioblitz.yhedn.org.uk/species.php?species=Priophorus%20morio
...er....I would guess that the small raspberry sawfly probably is a relative of the gooseberry sawfly.....
In fact this paper lists them as both being members of the Symphyta, which is presumably a suborder of the Hymenoptera.
Tbh I've never heard of this lot, other than the goosberry one; my original comment was a guess!
If they are sawflies they will pupate in the soil after dropping off the leaves. If you cut the canes down as soon as they die off instead of waiting till February, and stir up the surface of the soil a bit (gently cos the roots are shallow) you'll probably expose some of the little beggars and provide some winter bird food. And delay mulching next spring for the same reason. (A guess - or perhaps extrapolation from what you do on gooseberries).
If they reappear next year (or indeed are still active now) you might try spraying with garlic emulsion, or simply water - might discourage them.