Blueberry maggots could be costly problem in the wild, says expert

The spread of blueberry maggots to the wild crop in Newfoundland and Labrador would result in spraying and be very costly, according to a horticulturalist based in Portugal Cove-St. Phillip's.

Costco has recalled 669 blueberry plants that were sold in June and July from its St. John's store.

The plants that were shipped from Quebec to St. John's have been recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) because they were not properly checked for blueberry maggots.

Blueberry maggots are not native to Newfoundland and Labrador but with 669 plants sold and possibly planted around the province it is possible the "genie is out of the bottle," said Michael Murray, who owns Murray's Gardens.

"If this got out to the wild crops of the province, we would have to spray for them and this could be very costly and have major impacts on the environment," he told CBC News.

Murray who is a Red Seal landscape horticulturist, said the maggots, which look like fruit flies, lay their eggs inside ripening berries and their larva eat the blueberries from the inside out.

"You know you have blueberry maggots if there is a great deal of fruit drop, small holes in the berries, or if the berries are dried up because they've been eaten from the inside," said Murray.

Supposed to be testing on imports

Blueberry maggot was first discovered in Maine and New Hampshire in 1914 and has become a major problem for blueberries in the Maritime provinces as well as the southern areas of Quebec and Ontario, said Patricia Mcallister, acting director of CFIA.

"Most plants can move freely between provinces without certification but there are regulated pests in parts of Canada that require certification, such as blueberry plants when they are shipped to Newfoundland," she said.

"This was a new market for the producer and they were unaware they needed the certificate in order to ship to Newfoundland."

Costco has advised that all of the blueberry plants sold must be returned and ask that anyone returning these plants to double bag them to ensure that none of these flies can get into the local blueberry plants.

• Costco St. John's recalls blueberry plants

If you have planted any in your garden be sure that no roots are left when you dig them up, the flies and their larva can live inside the roots.  

"Blueberry maggots are not threatening to humans, but they try to protect local blueberry growers and wild blueberry plants from these maggots," said Mcallister.

"The best way to avoid pests like blueberry maggots is to buy from certified growers and sellers who are knowledgeable about the work and know how to handle these types of problems," Murray said.

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