August 15, 2025, 8:18 am | Read time: 3 minutes
From July to October is blackberry season, though the timing can vary slightly depending on the variety and location. These delicious berries can be made into juice, compote, and jams, or simply enjoyed as they are. However, blackberries often attract bugs. While they don’t pose a significant threat, they can negatively affect the taste of the berries.
What Kind of Bugs Are They?
When picking blackberries, if you spot small, often greenish or brown insects, you’re likely dealing with green stink bugs (Palomena prasina) or berry bugs (Dolycoris baccarum). Both belong to the shield bug family and are common in many gardens. They are about half to one and a half centimeters in size, have a shield-shaped body, and can emit a typical unpleasant odor when disturbed, which is how they got their name.
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What Damage Do the Bugs Cause to Blackberries?
Unlike plant pests that destroy the plant by eating the roots or leaves and shoots, preventing it from bearing fruit, the bugs only damage the blackberry fruits. They use their piercing mouthparts to suck on the fruits, allowing their saliva to enter the blackberry. This results in light, hardened spots in the flesh. While this doesn’t harm the plant, it reduces the quality and taste of the berries. In cases of severe infestation, entire batches of fruit can become unsightly or inedible.
It can also happen that the bugs not only infest fruit bushes but also settle inside the house. This is more common in the fall when they are looking for a place to overwinter. While they don’t cause real damage indoors, they release an unpleasant-smelling secretion if they feel threatened by people trying to drive them away with fly swatters or similar methods. For a few bugs, simply relocating them is sufficient. However, if the infestation is more severe, a pest control professional should be consulted.
How to Get Rid of the Bugs
The simplest and most environmentally friendly method is to pick the bugs off the plants. It’s best to do this early in the morning when the insects are less active. The collected bugs should be released far away. This method is more suitable for a minor infestation, as otherwise, it becomes a Sisyphean task.
Bugs have several natural enemies in the garden, such as birds, spiders, and predatory insects like lacewing larvae. By offering shrubs, wildflowers, or nesting boxes, you create habitats for these beneficial creatures, thus promoting the natural enemies of the bugs and keeping their population in check long-term.
Another method to protect blackberries from bugs is using fine mesh nets. These prevent the bugs from reaching the blackberries. However, it’s important to note that the nets also keep pollinating insects away from the berries. Therefore, it’s best to set up the net after the plant has finished blooming.
Another gentle way to get rid of the bugs is to spray the blackberries with a garden hose. The fallen bugs should then be collected from the ground and relocated to prevent them from climbing back onto the blackberries.