Gooseberry Sawfly

It's time to start checking your gooseberry bushes for Gooseberry Sawfly Larvae.

I've been thinking I must get round to checking for the last week or so but if you read last weeks post you will know why I only managed to find time on Friday afternoon.

Look in the middle of the bushes near the top for the telltale sign of small holes in the leaves.

 Underneath will be a small caterpillar/larvae  eating his way through the leaf, you can just see this teeny one on the edge of the hole.

 They grow at a great rate, this one's nibbled a bit more and doubled in size!

I found several so it's a good thing I didn't leave it any longer. These little things can eat their way through all the leaves on a bush in a couple of weeks, no leaves = a dead bush! We can't afford to lose a bush to sawfly, the gooseberries we pick and sell each year equal at least 2 months housekeeping money.

I will check every day if I can to squidge as many as possible so that I don't need to spray.


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Sue