Dryberry mite
Phyllocoptes gracilis
4 host plants
Last updated
Dryberry mite feeds on black raspberry leaves and fruit, causing berries to dry and fail to ripen properly. You will see affected fruits become hard, desiccated, and not the plump berries expected. Damage becomes obvious at harvest time when berries fail to develop normal quality. Economic impact is moderate to severe in commercial plantings; home gardens tolerate light infestations.
No effective chemical control for this mite is widely available. Remove and destroy heavily infested canes in late fall or winter to eliminate overwintering sites. Maintain adequate soil moisture during the growing season; water-stressed plants are more susceptible. Plant resistant varieties if available. Improve air circulation through pruning to create less favorable conditions for the mite. Most home growers accept some berry damage as the cost of growing raspberries.
Quick Reference
Dryberry mites attack the fruit of blackberries (including 'Logan' and 'Boysen' berries) and raspberries. They are tiny, sausage-shaped, yellowish to brown eriophyid mites. The mites overwinter in bark cracks and under bud scales, and attack leaves and fruit. On the leaves, the mites feed on the underside, causing yellow blotching and reduced leaf size in some varieties. Affected fruits, particularly on 'Logan' berries, become brown and die shortly after petal fall. Red raspberry fruit may appear sunscalded, with whitish to tan areas of dead drupelets (the small sections of the fruit) often oc
Cultural Controls
- Avoid use of broad-spectrum insecticides which kill natural predators, including predacious mites.