Flies all over my blackberry bush?

Question

We have a blackberry bush & enjoy the berries. Today we saw tons of flies all over the berries. We think they're eating the fruit or laying eggs. We can't find anything on the web about it. What are those flies doing to our berries? We used to pick & wash the berries & eat them, but now it's disgusting to see the flies all over it! I'm sure all berry bushes have flies all over them & yet we eat the fruit! Are our berries ruined by the flies?

Answer 1

If it's just regular houseflies you can still eat the berries after thoroughly washing them.  You can find a "fruit wash" in the fresh produce department of your local grocery store.  You can also do a search on WHITEFLIES and see if that's what's eating your fruit.

Also, it could be those pesky fruit flies.  They do lots of damage.  There are some products on the market that are safe to spray your bushes with.  One that I know of is safe enough that you can later eat the fruit after thoroughly washing it.  Go to your local greenhouse and talk with the person in charge of the garden department and ask for his/her recommendation.

If you want to make your own natural bug repellent, visit this website and see what you think.

http://www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/resourc...