Pests

[Kootenay prepper]

Every year usually make close to 100 jars of raspberry jam. This year the gooseberry bush was infested for the first time by red currant fruit flies also known in there earlier stage gooseberry maggots. We ended up losing the whole gooseberry bush and it also wiped out the entire raspberry patch, going to have to double down on the wild huckleberry jam.
Wondering if anyone else has dealt with this problem before and what they have done. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Brent S]

Every year usually make close to 100 jars of raspberry jam. This year the gooseberry bush was infested for the first time by red currant fruit flies also known in there earlier stage gooseberry maggots. We ended up losing the whole gooseberry bush and it also wiped out the entire raspberry patch, going to have to double down on the wild huckleberry jam.
Wondering if anyone else has dealt with this problem before and what they have done. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I do my best to avoid any kinds of pesticides. I will grudgingly use some seven dust sparingly whenever I see a pest infestation. So far it has been effective for me on local pests. Good luck.

 

[Danil54grl]

Pyrethrin is an approved organic chemical to use. You have to have direct contact.
I had a friend who was seeing fruit flies in her strawberry patch. She had read about taking a cup, bury part way in ground. Pour beer or red wine vinegar with a few drops of liquid dish soap. Supposed to attract the flies and kill on contact. I've made up a spray bottle of water, dish soap and apple cider vinegar to spray in the house with very good results so it's very plausible that her method would work in the garden. I just haven't seen her to ask how it worked.

 

[Kootenay prepper]

Thanks for the replies that gives me something to try forsure

 

[Arcticdude]

So far I haven't noticed any insect pests in my garden, but I do have animal pests. For awhile I was having problems with ravens eating the tomatoes and chipmunks eating the strawberries. After a few shots with the .22 the ravens quit coming around. The chipmunks are another matter though. They get under the hood of the vehicles, in the barn, the garden and they attract rattlesnakes. I keep traps and poison out for the chippers and mice and shoot them whenever possible. We were getting mice inside the vehicles too. They'd make their nests in the glove box using the insurance papers and registration cards. Haven't seen any for a few weeks. Maybe my eradication program is working on the mice. Just like some people, there's always some critter looking for an easy hand-out.

 

[Kootenay prepper]

With my old truck I had a few problems like that had a pack rat make a nest under the hood. A couple years later went to change the air filter and found a squirrels winter stash in the filter compartment.

 

[DrHenley]

I use mostly boric acid and diatomaceous earth, but every once in a while I'll bomb the house. No more than once a year though.

But when we got bedbugs, I ended up using every chemical weapon of mass destruction I could get my hands on

 

[jontte]

I've collected nettles and let them soak in water for several days,your nose tells you when it's ready to use and sprayed what I did grow with the liquid,
works kinda good against pests.
have soaked chillies too and sprayed the crops,pests don't like it
and an oldie here is that you put pine oil soap and water and spray what you grow,pests don't like that either.