Burrowing Caterpillars in Raspberry and Blackberry Plants

Burrowing Caterpillars in Raspberry and Blackberry Plants

When raspberries and thornless blackberries have new growth often the top 2-3cm starts to brown off and die. Sometimes when I have nipped the dying piece off I have found a little caterpillar inside. Can you help?

Burrowing caterpillars in the stems of raspberry and blackberry plants are a common issue, and unfortunately, not easy to resolve.

Winter pruning should include removing all old canes from the bushes – either burn them or remove them from your property. Check this season’s canes (next season’s fruiting canes) for signs of burrowing caterpillars.

Look for symptoms like dead leaves, and cut the canes open to check for caterpillar presence. If you find any, it’s best to remove the entire plant and start fresh with new specimens. While systemic insecticides can be used, they may not be suitable for plants that produce edible berries.

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