HomeBlueberriesBlueberries: Flowers or fruit are physically damaged (e.g. chewed, holes, etc.)

Blueberries: Flowers or fruit are physically damaged (e.g. chewed, holes, etc.)

Carpenter Bees

Flowers may be physically injured by insects such as Carpenter Bees. Carpenter Bees resemble Bumble Bees, but are smaller and darker.

Four bees arranged in trapezoid shape. Bees on left side of trapezoid have bright yellow fuzz on thorax and abdomen. Bees on right are less bright yellow and have more prominent head. Bees on right have longer, more elongated wings and do not have any fuzz on lower half of abdomen.
Bumble bees on left, carpenter bees on right.

Carpenter bees chew holes in the sides of flowers.

Cluster of healthy white blueberry blossoms with pale green flower bases. Tops of white blossoms have 1-2 little holes bordered by browned tissue.

These holes allow honey bees and other insects to steal nectar through the holes without pollinating blossoms.

Blueberry flowers with holes at top of blossom and arrows pointing to holes. A honeybee can be seen perched at the top of a blossom, sucking nectar out of the hole made at the top of the blossom.
A honeybee sucks nectar from a hole without pollinating the flower.

Japanese Beetles

Japanese beetle adults also feed on the skin of berries, causing physical damage to fruit:

A blueberry fruit is wrinkled and covered in little holes. A Japanese beetle sits on a nearby blueberry. Two more Japanese beetles mate in the corner next to a hole-riddled leaf.

More Japanese beetle information.

Use these resources if you need additional help with diagnosis and to find solutions to your problem.