These beetles also burrow into vegetables and fruit such as sweet corn, berries, and tomatoes. They are particularly attracted to fruit that is overripe or damaged in some way. Therefore the first management strategy against picnic beetles should be to keep berry and tomato patches picked on a regular schedule, removing any overripe or damaged fruit. We typically receive lots of samples of this commonly found shrub at this time of year. Common buckthorn, Rhamnus cathartica is identified as a shrub or small tree with small, dark green, elliptical leaves, and with clusters of small black fruit.
Many homeowners confuse the form with a crab apple.
The twigs also end in a small thorn. Lots of would-be jam and jelly makers often wonder if the fruit is safe to eat and use. Birds will often eat the fruit and then deposit the seeds all over the yard. Consequently, buckthorn seedlings are frequent weeds in many yards. W Hail damage on ponderosa pine in the Rapid City area occurred earlier this year.