Hi Logician. I was just suggesting to OP - to maybe try washing the blackberries in diluted PP water to disinfect the berries before consuming. I haven't got a clue on what PP will do to those fly-larvae by spraying them but It wouldn't hurt to try it out. Maybe it'll get kill them or maybe it won't. Speaking from personal experience, spraying my plants with a weak solution of PP for a few consecutive days did get rid off powder mildew on my blueberry canes. It also got rid off earth worms and beetle grubs in my potted blueberries. I learnt of using PP from other gardeners on online forums - with no scientific studies or backups, just a bunch of home remedies suggested by online strangers. I was afraid to spray and water my plants with PP at first - thinking it might kill my blueberries. Thankfully, it didn't, PP is now my go to remedy for all ailments and treatments. I know that I shouldn't be suggesting anything without enough solid evidence and scientific backups, as it potentially could be dangerous and risky for others thinking of trying it out. PP is relatively safe as it's being used for soaking in bath. Also, it didn't harm my plants.

Ctiger - I have thought about using a tapener, however, my reservation with using one is my monofilament wire - having to cut thousands of pieces of tape from my vines leaves a HUGE area for an "oops" while cutting the tape away from the wires - one little cut, and it would slice right thru my wire - remember - it is plastic, not wire. The bands that I am currently playing with seem to be working pretty good - so I will update once I see how they do over the next year. BradyB - a movie??? Oh my - there would indeed be some moments for certain.... Milehighgirl - I think I am more crazy than anything!!! Actually my grandparents were known many years ago over many counties for their produce - that was their way of living...peaches, greenbeans, corn, watermelons, squash, etc. My mom grew up working in the fields (she hates it by the way - even though she married a farmer!!!)....which leads me to my parents - farmers - and my dad always had a melon wagon at the end of the quarter mile lane with the melons in it...you would drive by, pick one out, drop your money in the box sitting in the wagon and go on your way....very cool, and really, usually the money box did not come up short. So, I guess this madness you could say is in my blood.... Murky - I doubt my labor will be repaid....ever!!!!! I paid my two 13 year old kids their salary for the year of $100 each.....even though they fussed the entire month of the season...they really didnt do a whole lot - but did help me pick around 170 pounds for our local winery which is going to make blackberry wine with our berries (cool huh!!!) As far as expenses - I will break even next year. Mind you, I had all of the end post, t-post, tractor, etc. from prior "adventures" around the farm. My expenses where: plants, monofilament wire, wire stretcher for monofilament, t-post connectors for the monofilament wire, drip-line irrigation, vine clips, different vine clips, more vine clips, weed killer, digital scale, picking buckets, directional u-pick signs, plastic bags for buckets, june bug traps (they were horrible about a month ago, and still have some out there chomping on some fruit/leaves)... the biggest expense was the plants themselves, followed by the monofilament wire and drip-line irrigation - I would buy the 2 year old plants again (almost double the price of one year plants), I would DEFINATELY do the monofilament wire (love it so far) and the definately the drip-line irrigation - little expense, absolute BREEZE for ME to install!!!! On the trellis design - I am not certain I like the 3 wire set-up - reason being is of course - LOTS OF LABOR tying up everything - I am currently talking to one university who is contemplating handling their canes a different way which has my interest - possibly not tying canes but doing a rather "raspberry" type of support as the middle or top wire (a sandwich of two wires) - my only hang-up is what I have encountered over the past few weeks after the storm...canes being blown over to a severe slant - so I would have to think of something to keep them from being able to do that....I do see some sort of revisement in my trellis design, I just haven't came up with what as of yet!!! I just ran out to take a few photos I will see if I can get them uploaded - a few different ones.... The one on this post - is the "beast" in its entirety - 9 rows, 200ft each of Triple Crown blackberries...... June bug leaf damage, size of triple crown canes, a "completed" plant - pruned and ready for winter, one of the "beast" yet to be tamed (i.e. - unpruned, leaning from weather, spent berry greens still on),

EG you are absolutely bad!!! while they are attracted to CO2, its not neccessarily because she talks to much!! "muttering: them dang men!!!> Geeze! i mean heck, talla, she talks non stop!! ohhh not a good one!! they just attack her like crazy! hmmm.....anyhow, its in the blood type, ya, that's the story, and if you eat sweets, like fruits, especially banana's, talla will have to wear mint oil i get it at sally's beauty salon, its for the massage's. and i put it on her like a lotion, they leave her alone, i also use the lavender one on her. BUT if i don't she will be outside for 10 minutes, come in, and have skeeter bites all up and down her legs, HUGE one's. over the summer she got sick because one time befor mom got me this green tea/mint one they'd just attack her like crazy, way too many bites for her. do you remember when i told ya all she would get diahreah then clear up in a few days, then get pale, then same thing, but she'd do that for a month easy. well over the summer she kept doing that too. but much more so. we are both A+ i believe. i think i read that they absolutely love B type tho. Hmmmm...... maybe we are. i'll have to check it out now. LOL hopefully i'll get my glasses tomarow! WOO HOO!!! ~Medo Here is a link that might be useful: Barehanded Totally Nutso Gardener!! **Big Grinn**

I have been making jams and jellies for years and years using the sterile jar, cover quickly with parafin method. Only on one batch did I have some mold.....and that was lots of years ago and it was plum jam and I had put a cinnamon stick and a few cloves in some of the jars and the mold formed around the cinnamon stick. I have 6 or 8 jars of crabapple jelly in the basement now....as clear and as lovely as they were when I sealed them with wax in the fall of 2009. I have been making preserves and jams and jellies like this since easily 1960 and only had maybe 3 jars mold....that plum stuff! Usually I manage to use it up or give it away during a year and so start fresh....but sometimes I go hog wild on something that is in season and it lasts. A couple of years ago, I found some jelly hidden on a shelf that had to be more than 10 years old. It was dark and I no longer remember what kind it was, but it was just poured into a jelly glass, not a canning jar, sealed with parafin and stacked on a shelf. There was no mold....I wasn't about to eat it...but I did open and wash the jars to reuse....but the jam or jelly wasn't moldy. Keep your glasses or jars sterile, cover quickly with a thin layer of wax....and when that has hardened add another layer and you won't have mold problems. And it's so easy! AGAIN.....this is for high sugar fruits....not for pickles nor canned vegetables.