[Bernard]

Do you manage to keep the rasberry beetles away?

I am picking every few days at the moment but I reject any with brown spots on the core.

[DD.]

Touching wood - never had a problem.

The only thing I've ever seen on them is those Green Shield bugs & they are quite harmless.

Not even pigeons go for these!

[Bernard]

I am surprised about that. I thought the raspberry beetle was ubiquitous. Years ago I picked a carrier bag full of big fat blackberries when I was on holiday in Norfolk - they were much more luscious than the ones that grow here in Yorkshire. After a couple of days I noticed that the bottom of the bag was crawling with little grubs.

I have been very wary of them since. It is for sure that if I don't treat my raspberries with derris, most of them will have the grubs in them and I won't eat other peoples' offerings of blackberry pies.