The cranberry fruitworm is one of the most serious pests of blueberries in the Eastern United States.
Earlier varieties are usually the most infested.
Infested berries may be harvested and packaged without detection, resulting in consumers finding larvae in packaged berries. Wild blueberries and cranberries are often heavily infested with the cranberry fruitworm. If commercial fields are nearby they will likely have problems with this pest. Weedy, unkept plantings are also likely to harbor high populations of this insect. This insect overwinters as a fully grown larva within a cocoon made of silk and soil particles.