Raspberry Pests: How to Fight Gallitz

Gallitsa are of two types: sprouting and stem.

Shoot Galley

From the second half of the summer to late autumn, annular swellings or bumps form on the raspberry stalks. Usually they are at the bottom of the stem, closer to the root. Outer tissue - the epidermis cracks. The internal nutrient medium of the stalk turns into gall midge larvae into dust. The stem breaks easily in this place. As a rule, the shoot has one bulge and one larva inside. Sometimes, however, there are two or three swellings with different distances from each other. Rarely, but there are up to 5-7 such cones on the shoot.

Young shoots of raspberry with glitter

Break the stem in the place of swelling - you will find a larva 10-12 mm long. In color it is light yellow or light green, the color depends on the color of the juice that feeds. From the place of swelling, the gall midge larva moves in a spiral up to 20 cm or more. In the initial stage of development in its nest — the galle — it is very small, lives, develops alone. When a certain age is reached, the larva gets to the surface of the shoot, sinks into the soil. From the soil the gall midge creeps out, already like a small mosquito. The mosquito females lay eggs under the bark or inside the crack of the stem( by the way, very often the raspberry bark cracks from pereormorm nitrogen).Then the gall midge larvae reappear there, which penetrate into the stem - it all starts over again.

During the growing season, several generations of gall midges develop, a continuous wave of formation of new swell-gall occurs on the raspberry stalks. This continues until the first autumn frosts. The last generation larvae winter in the soil at different depths( up to 30 cm or deeper) at different distances from the affected shoot, that is, throughout the entire area of ​​the raspberry planting.

Galliches are very mobile. If, when loosening the soil, the larva is on top, then after two or three minutes it will deepen, then it is difficult to find. There were cases when I found 2-3 larvae in galls in the spring. Apparently, these were individuals of late rotation. Autumn-winter turned out to be warm.

Crimson shoots gallitsa: control measures

This is a fight against a mosquito, egg laying and the larva. I will share my observations, methods, conclusions. Small mosquitoes( mosquitoes) like to settle on raspberry varieties that suffer from didimella - purple spot. That is the main struggle against it.

In the spring, as soon as the buds start to bloom, I make a stitchhead - I cut the kidneys with ordinary scissors from the bottom to a height of 50-80 cm - the height depends on the length of the shoot. These buds are unproductive.

Spraying the stems with one-percent Bordeaux liquid to prevent the mass distribution of the didymela fungus. Spraying can also be carried out before budding. During the growth of young shoots of substitution or shoots do a three-time pasynkovanie - pruning the lower leaves.

From the beginning of July, I start cutting out the stalks that have been hatched from the early varieties, then the medium ones, and by the middle of July I finish cutting the stems from the late-fruiting raspberry. The goal is to prevent the spread of the fungus Didimella.

Then I proceed to the main spraying with one-percent Bordeaux mixture or any other copper-containing preparation for young shoots of substitution and seedlings. I spray the bare part of the shoots before the first leaves, because remontant varieties are blooming at this time, the fruits begin to tie. Spraying spend late afternoon, when there are no bees. The goal is to prevent the incidence of young shoots of Didimella.

Female midge golitsy "understood" my goal, begin to lay eggs in the upper part of the shoots - there it will be easier for us to find them. Most egg laying happens on single-yielding varieties, less on remontant raspberry varieties.

For the season, before the first autumn frosts, systematically, at least once a week, you need to inspect the raspberry bushes, cut off the shoots with galls as soon as you see them. Cut the affected escape, find, be sure to destroy the larva, to prevent it from leaving the soil.

When the swellings( galls) have grown, the larvae are clearly visible. Unfortunately, this method of struggle is not always possible. You will cut the escape, but the larvae of the midge are not, it is already in the ground. Sometimes it’s just hard to see galls in time when they are not yet clearly expressed.

If in the spring, above the swelling, the buds do not bloom, cut off the affected shoot 1-2 cm lower. On the remaining stem, it can be up to 1 m and above, do not stick the( budding), they will bear fruit normally.

Stem Galley

It affects the young shoots of substitution, shoots. Stems are not affected. On the shoots formed lateral growths-bumps of indefinite shape. The outer cover of the shoot does not crack the epidermis. Larvae up to 2 mm of light yellow or orange color live in the growth, 5, rarely up to 7 pcs. Apparently, therefore, the name is a stem gallitsa.

In the spring, during the flowering period, mosquitoes appear from the larvae, females lay eggs on young shoots. The emerged larvae of gall midges are introduced into the shoot, where they continue to live, winter, and develop. For a season one rotation, one generation turns out.

Growths are detected from August to November. During the autumn-winter period, the larvae infect the entire interior of the shoot, turning it into dust, immediately overwinter. This type of gall midge is rare, for raspberry is not terrible.

Stem gallfly control measures

When a growth is found, I cut it off with a knife, with a sharp object I delete all the contents together with the gall midge larvae and destroy it. I smear the wound with garden pitch, it can be grease, cement, clay or any oil paint. This is the only available, effective method of dealing with this type of disease. Shoots normally bear fruit.

Noticed other types of growths on raspberries - in the form of a ring, acute-angled, round spherical shape. There are very rare. When you cut the place of growth( the inside of the stem is not broken) you can see a few black dots, but I did not see the larva, maybe it is, but you can probably find it only under a microscope. What kind of pest or disease do not know. Shoots cut did not. They normally bear fruit.

What can be done to avoid losing the crop

• I recommend always, when trimming a bush, to leave for one or two young escapes for replacement stock, depending on the size of the bush and its age. As a rule, one glitch is affected in the bush, rarely two shoots.
• Grow varieties resistant to all diseases and pests.
• Use mosquito repellent against raspberry products - infusions of tobacco, mullein, walnut leaves, bird cherry, nettle, wormwood, etc. Spray in the evening, as mosquitoes begin their actions with the onset of darkness and all night.
• Gallica does not like onions, garlic - you can plant even perennial onions between the rows of raspberries - batun, chives and others.
• Good effect is obtained from the organized, simultaneous, timely work of all gardeners to combat gall midge.

Watch the video to see what raspberry stalks look like when they are affected by stem gallitsa. I just want to warn that the authors of the video advise treating raspberries with preparations against leaf-eating pests. Apparently, they have not yet figured out themselves what pest they are dealing with. Against gall midge this method will not work.

A very encouraging experience in dealing with the gallstone of one of our readers is his comment below.