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hi folks can anyone help me
i have an infestation of bluebottles on my rasberrys which are just ripening
is there any organic/natural cure for this?

[tagwex]

Brown paper bags slipped over the young developing fruit (don't wait until they're big), being very careful not to knock the fruit off.

You can try leaving traps for them. An easy one is just to leave a bottle with some wine or fruit juice near the raspberries. Another way, is to create a cone with a piece of paper so that there is a small opening on the end. Then tape the cone, pointy end down, into a jam jar for instance, with a piece of fruit at the bottom. They will fly in, but not be able to get out.

A natural remedy to deter the flies is to spray an organic pesticide like chilli spray. I know the spice will cover your food, but it should wash off. You could at least try this for some of your crop and at least you'll get some food - even if you have to wash it a bit more thoroughly than usual.

The recipe for organic pesticide is:
■Take a handful of chopped chillies
■Cut up a few cloves of garlic
■A Spoonful of soap flakes to make it sticky

Boil all of these ingredients in about a litre of water for a few minutes until all the aroma is lingering around and the juices are infused into the water.

Then strain, cool and start spraying! This will be effective for a few weeks.

There is a product called Eco-naturalure that attracts the fly and kills it. You place it around the tree so it never touches the fruit. Check out this link

http://www.greenharvest.com

Another thing you can do is spray with insecticidal soap or Neem oil. Both are eco friendly solutions that won't harm the fruit. Insecticidal soap is just that -- pure soap and no detergents. Neem oil is made from the nuts of the Neem tree.

Don't know how big your crop is obviously but patience and endeavour should win out in the end.

[tagwex]

It's real nice to get a thank you when one bothers to take the time to answer your problem. I will be thinking hard about answering when I see 'icon' coming up again.

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My humbliest apology but i was unable to reply to your informative ideas
I am pleased to inform everyone that the chilli spray really worked after one spray and i think i will use this whenever needed
Many thanks tagwex

[sgmgarden]

I am glad to hear you found a solution!